Passing of time
by johnliz4ever
Summary: A visit to an Alien planet starts a chain of events which nobody could have ever guessed.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not mine in any way, the only thing I own is my own imagination.  
Pairing: John/Elizabeth, John/Whore of the week, Elizabeth/Ronon, Ronon/Teyla, Teyla/Rodney, Nope that's not it, there's bound to be some smaller pairings. Keep your eyes pealed for the slash pairing.  
Spoilers: Up to and including season 2  
Warning: Sex. Violence. Swearing. Torture. Rape.  
Notes: **Place setting in Bold**, Timeline is Underlined. _Italics represents Notes/Flashbacks and Radio transmissions._ I pitched this idea to mercscilla and she seemed to like it so I decided to start writing however I could have never have dreamed how this would have turned out, I've added lots of things which were pitched as separate fics.

**

* * *

Atlantis**

John's arms collapsed underneath him as he came hard inside Elizabeth. John fell on her in the softest way possible but he still managed to knock the wind out of her. Elizabeth didn't mind him crushing her, at the moment she didn't care about anything. She was too busy trying to come down from her own orgasm to care that he was crushing her delicate ribs. Eventually he rolled off her and landed with a thud at her side. When he was off her Elizabeth slid away from him slightly but not enough for him to notice. John immediately closed the distance between them and began to drop kisses on her shoulder.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed inwardly. She couldn't do with John being like that tonight. Sometimes it was nice, sometimes she wanted it and he wouldn't give her it. Their whole relationship, if it could be called that, changed with their mood. Sometimes it was hot and passionate, sometimes in was gentle and loving and other times it could be completely detached, they would be with each other physically but in their minds it would be someone else making love to them.

John was being too gentle and loving for what Elizabeth wanted. It had been a difficult day for her and the last thing she'd wanted was sex, but John was insistent that he'd help her relax. She sighed and thought that it might help but as soon as he had her pinned to her bed she disappeared into her own head. She thought about anything other than John. She thought about Simon, her first serious boyfriend James and for some reason Daniel Jackson.

John hadn't even realised, like now. He was kissing her shoulder, her neck, making his way up to her lips.

Elizabeth just laid there, letting him have this moment, knowing how much he wanted it. Thoughts ran through her mind as John's tongue slid across her breast. She was so lost in thought that she didn't realise John had stopped and was looking at her slightly concerned

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked up at him. His features were slightly hidden by the dark so she couldn't tell what the expression on his face was.

"What?"

John sighed and slid away from Elizabeth and laid next to her for a moment before getting out of the bed. Elizabeth sat up and pulled the covers over her chest, watching as John found his clothes and put them on.

"John what are you doing?"

John finished putting on his top before turning to her. She still couldn't see his face but figured that it was probably best that they couldn't see each other. Their faces always gave themselves away because they could read each other so well.

"Look Elizabeth, you've got some issues, so have I and I just think that we should work those out before even thinking about being in a relationship. All we'll do is hurt each other otherwise."

Elizabeth sat stunned. He'd said the R word. He wanted a relationship with her, a serious one. Elizabeth took a sharp breath. She didn't know how to respond to that so she said the first thing that came to her head.

"Fine, if that's what you want. I'm fine with it"

Elizabeth could see John's outline as he nodded his head. Elizabeth got the vibe that he was pissed at what she had just said, even though she thought it was what he wanted to hear.

"Whatever"

Elizabeth watched John's form leave her room into the dimly lit corridor. After a beat the door closed and left Elizabeth in the dark.

She closed her eyes and sighed. John was mad at her, he'd obviously wanted her to defend their relationship, say it was worth working at and they would work out their issues together, but Elizabeth wouldn't beg and she knew John wouldn't. They were both so ego-centric. They didn't like admitting they were wrong, especially to each other. Their pride wouldn't allow it.

Sighing Elizabeth slipped out of the bed and walked over to the bathroom. She turned on the tap and ran a bath. When she slipped into the hot water she sighed in pleasure, the hot water surrounding her whole body in a protective way. Slowly she closed her eyes and slid down her whole body into the water.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­

* * *

Ronon rested on one arm as he watched Teyla sleeping peacefully next to him. He slipped a peace of her hair behind her ear and sighed. Teyla was beautiful, strong and graceful but lately their relationship had been getting too predictable. It was like when they'd spar. He knew what was coming next, what she would do and how he would respond in return. It played out the same way every night and it was beginning to bore him. He wanted something different; he didn't want to lose Teyla. She was special to him but he wanted something different in their relationship. 

Ronon dropped down onto his back and closed his eyes before falling back to sleep.

* * *

The next day

Elizabeth walked into the briefing room to find Ronon and Teyla already there. They were sitting next to each other closer than was strictly necessary. Elizabeth smiled at them and sat down in her usual seat. She watched Teyla and Ronon for a moment. They were sweet, and sweet wasn't a word she would usually connect with Ronon. She knew how smitten Teyla was with Ronon, it was possible she loved him. Elizabeth hadn't asked. She didn't want to pry. It was none of her business.

A moment later Rodney and John walked in. Rodney took his usual seat on one side of Elizabeth but John, instead of sitting on the other side of Elizabeth, sat next to Rodney.

Elizabeth bit the inside of her lip and three sets of eyes passed between John and herself.

Elizabeth looked down at the papers in front of her, all the writing was suddenly merged and Elizabeth thought the temperature in the room was souring as she turned to Rodney and smiled weakly.

"Rodney, why don't you start?"

Rodney was slightly concerned about Elizabeth but started talking none the less. As he talked about the power readings which Lornes team had discovered while doing a flyby of a planet, Ronon looked briefly over at Elizabeth. Her whole face had gone red and she looked like she was about to pass out. As he was sitting one seat over from her, he quickly wrote something down and passed it over to her when nobody was looking.

Elizabeth looked over at Ronon as he passed the piece of paper before looking down and seeing what he had wrote.

_Are you alright?_

Elizabeth turned back to Ronon and nodded, smiling, before turning back to Rodney and what he was saying. She wasn't alright, every time John looked at her she felt hotter. It wasn't through lust or passion. It was through guilt, hurt and something else she couldn't put her finger on. She had to get out of this meeting, the heat was too intense but nobody else seemed to notice it.

She pushed back a wave of nausea which had been brought on by the heat.

Elizabeth looked up as she felt a hand on hers

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked up at Rodney who was looking at her, very concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth looked round at the people in the room, avoiding John's worried gaze, before looking back at Rodney.

"I'm sorry Rodney. I missed what you were saying."

Rodney turned slightly to the people around him before back at Elizabeth. The three people in the room seemed as worried as him.

"Elizabeth, you don't look so well"

Elizabeth shook her head quickly and slid her hand from Rodney's.

"I'm fine, it's just really hot in here. If you'll excuse me I need some air"

Elizabeth stood up and walked out of the briefing room, slightly uneasy on her feet. She walked out to the balcony, the chilled air cooling her down. She walked over to the railing and gripped it hard, closing her eyes to stop the double vision she was experiencing.

She stood there for a moment, her eyes closed, a calming sensation filling her until the door swished open and someone walked out, standing next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw that John was the one standing next to her.

"I'm fine...thank you"

John nodded and leaned against the railing, looking at Elizabeth. He was concerned about her wellbeing, she could tell.

"Look, I know what I said last night..."

Elizabeth stopped him; she didn't want him thinking he was the cause of this. That he had such a hold over her. She was too proud for that.

"You were right John. Everything you said was true. We both have issues and we need to work them out"

John looked away from her and sighed. He was pissed, she could tell.

"John, you were the one who said it. I'm just agreeing with you. I thought that was what you wanted"

John shrugged

"If you thought that was what I wanted then I guess you don't know me as well as I thought you did"

John pushed away from the railing and walked back into the control room. Elizabeth sighed and looked at the ocean wondering if she'd just done the right thing.

* * *

Elizabeth sat in her office staring blankly at the reports in front of her. She rested her head in her right hand and started to read again. She tapped the fingers of her left hand on the table and started humming to herself as Teyla opened the door and slid her head around. 

"Dr Weir?"

Elizabeth immediately stopped tapping her fingers and looked up, upon seeing Teyla, she smiled.

"What can I do for you Teyla?"

Teyla smiled, slightly confused

"We are about to disembark Dr Weir"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened her eyes, she looked and saw Teyla in her combat gear and carrying a P-90. Elizabeth sighed and looked at her watch.

"I must of lost track of time"

Elizabeth stood up and walked over to Teyla who opened the door fully. The two of them walked down the stairs to where the team were waiting. Elizabeth looked at the team and smiled.

"Good luck, come back safe and don't make any enemies"

Ronon smiled slightly at the joke but John shrugged if off and kept it professional.

"Yes Ma'am. We will check in after a hour and than every three hours after that"

Teyla glanced over at Rodney and Ronon sending them a look with seemed to say 'What's going on between those two?' Elizabeth nodded slowly, her smiling falling at John's cold tone.

"Good luck"

The Stargate began to dial up, a moment later it activated. The blue wormhole splashing out beside them. Without a word, John walked to the wormhole and walked through. Teyla and Ronon followed him, looking between each other with a confused glance. Rodney looked at Elizabeth and smiled

"Well, see you"

Elizabeth nodded and Rodney followed Teyla and Ronon through the Stargate.

­­­­­­

**

* * *

Krickmark **

John, Ronon, Teyla and Rodney emerged on the other side of the Stargate. Rodney already had his energy reader out, searching for where Lorne and his team had found the energy peak.

"Rodney what you got?"

Rodney walk around a little bit. He walked towards a nearby forest. He lifted up his arm and pointed to a path, which led through the forest.

"This way."

John walked over to Rodney

"You sure?"

Rodney shook his head and sighed

"Yes, big energy peak that way so I'm guessing we should go that way"

John couldn't help but smile at the tone of Rodney's voice. He knew Rodney was talking to him as if he was a five year old but it was still funny and it did take his mind of Elizabeth. Damn, he'd thought about her, he didn't want to do that. When he thought about her it made him even regret saying those idiotic things the night before. He hadn't really meant them, he'd just been slightly irritated about her being detached when he was trying his hardest to help her relax and now she was agreeing with his stupid ideas. John mentally kicked himself as he, Rodney, Teyla and Ronon started down the path to the energy peak. John decided there and then that when they checked he would apologise, tell her in some secret way that nobody would be able to figure out, how sorry he was.

They continued to walk through the forest, after about ten minutes they reached a small village. It contained small wooden hut houses; it looked like a farming village. There were animals, some that looked slightly familiar to creatures on Earth and some that were like nothing they had ever seen before.

Children were playing between the houses and women were stood around talking while on the fields the men were sowing seeds. John smiled

"Looks like we may have found some new trading partners"

John turned to Teyla and smiled

"Teyla..."

He gestured towards a group of women who were staring at them. Teyla nodded and walked over to the women. She talked with them for a moment and John was relieved when she walked back smiling.

"They are call the Krickmarkians. That woman there..." Teyla pointed to a pretty woman, with short dark hair. She was wearing a blue dress, which hung off the shoulders and carrying a blue scarf "...is called Mokian..." John looked round and the woman and smiled at her. She smiled back in a flirty manner and John continued to smirk as he looked back at Teyla "...she offered to escort us to their leader."

John nodded and looked again at Mokian.

"Tell her we'd be honoured"

Teyla nodded and walked back to Mokian and the women. Ronon glared at John and his clear show of flirting between him and Mokian. After a moment, Teyla walked back to the team with Mokian.

"Mokian these are my friends, Ronon Dex, Dr Rodney McKay and..."

John cut her off quickly, smiling at Mokian

"Colonel John Sheppard"

Mokian smiled coyly

"It is good to meet you Colonel"

"Please call me John"

Ronon rolled his eyes at the sick sight passing in front of him. Teyla saw him roll his eyes and nodded in agreement as they followed Mokian. She led them through the village to a town hall type building which sat in the middle of what looked like a market centre.

They walked into the town hall and too a large office which obvious belonged to the leader of the Krickmarkians. They stepped inside; Mokian excused herself and left the room, leaving the Atlantis team all alone. A moment later a oldish man with grey hair came into the room, he was wearing a musky suit and wearing a robe.

"Greetings, Greetings. I am Lokmic, welcome to Krickmark. I understand my daughter brought you here."

John nodded slightly.

"Mokian is your daughter?"

Lokmic smiled proudly and walked over to them.

"She is, I trust her instincts. If she trust you and your team, I trust you too"

John smiled happily at the comment.

* * *

John and the team left the Town Hall and made their way back to the part of the village where they had entered. Once they got there, they were met again by Mokian. 

"I trust your meeting with my father went well"

John nodded and slyly checked her out.

"Thanks to you"

Mokian smiled and started to walk slowly away from the team. John followed her and the two of them kept talking, and flirting. Ronon sighed and walked over to John.

"Sheppard, you've got to check in with Elizabeth"

Ronon never called her Elizabeth, but he was just reminding John that she still existed. Ronon wasn't stupid, he knew something was going on between him and Elizabeth and he also knew that something had happened to revert John back to his usual 'flirt with at least one woman on every planet'.

John glared at him for a moment before answering.

"Take Teyla, check in and tell Dr Weir we've been asked to stay for a meal tonight. We'll be back tomorrow"

Ronon nodded slightly, walked off and headed over to Teyla.

John and Mokian watched him go. John turned back to Mokian and smiled

"Sorry about that"

Mokian smiled

"It is fine... So who is Elizabeth?"

John shrugged slightly.

"She's our leader, that's all"

* * *

"_So how are things going there Ronon?"_

Ronon sighed slightly; he never really showed enthusiasm to anything

"There okay. We've met with their leader, he seems open to the idea of trading a proportion of his villages crops for medical supplies."

"_Good job Ronon"_

Teyla walked up next to Ronon and looked into the camera

"We have been asked to attend a meal and stay the night"

"_Permission granted, have fun"_

Teyla smiled

"Thank you Dr Weir"

Ronon was about to turn the camera off when he stopped with his hand on the switch.

"How you feeling now?"

**

* * *

Atlantis **

"_How you feeling now?"_

Elizabeth smiled at Ronon's concern. He'd been so sweet to her all day, truth be told he'd changed a lot over the last few months. He'd become less guarded and more relaxed around her and his team. She liked that, she'd got to know him and she liked what she was beginning to find out about him.

"Much better, thank you. Be safe out there"

Elizabeth saw Ronon nod before turning off the camera. Elizabeth turned to the technician and gave him an order to contact her when John's team checked back in, she than walked to her office, sat down and opened a game of Solitaire to get her mind off things,

**

* * *

Krickmark**

Ronon, Rodney and Teyla were all sat together at a big banquet table in the town hall, John was sat with Mokian and her father. All three member of his team had been slightly appalled at John's behaviour to Mokian as they all assumed that John and Elizabeth were together.

"I can't believe he'd do this to her"

Rodney looked over at John and watched as he placed his hand on Mokians'. Teyla shrugged and sighed

"Maybe they are not together like we assumed"

Ronon shook his head and glanced over at John before looking back to Rodney and Teyla.

"No, they were. They had an argument"

Teyla and Rodney shared a look before looking back at Ronon

"How can you be sure?"

Ronon shrugged

"This morning he was trying to ignore her in the briefing. When she left he rushed out after her, when he came back from the balcony he was even more angry and than after that he ignored her the rest of the day and couldn't wait to get out on this mission"

Teyla nodded, Ronon's analysis was logic.

"I suppose so, but why would be acting like that with Mokian if he and Dr Weir were still a couple"

Ronon sighed and looked round at John and Mokian.

"Because he doesn't know a good thing when he's got it"

The Atlantis team had been given rooms for the night in the Town Hall were Mokian and Lokmic kept residence. Teyla had turned in early saying she was tired. Rodney and Ronon soon followed her. John was the last one to retire to his room. He'd been have interesting conversations with Lokmic and Mokian. They were very interesting people, John had concluded and wouldn't mind getting know more about them, but for now he was tired and ready to fall asleep. He took off his combat vest and was about to discard of his shirt when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in"

The door opened slowly and Mokian walked into. She closed the door behind her and walked over to John

"I wanted to make sure that the room was satisfying enough for you"

John nodded

"It's great"

Mokian nodded

"I am glad. I have liked getting to know you John. I really think our two people could learn a lot from each other."

John nodded and smiled

"Me too"

Slowly John lent in and kissed Mokian on the lips once. Mokian broke away and looked up at him, her eyes were wide and she smiled. Quickly she grabbed him and kissed him hard and deep. John slid his arm around her waist and guided her to the bed

­­­­­­­

* * *

The next morning

John opened his eyes against the light, which shone in the room. He knew they'd have to get back to Atlantis soon but he was reluctant to move out of the warm bed. It was bigger than the one he had on Atlantis, it wasn't as comfortable but it didn't really mind. Slowly he slid to one side and saw something which he'd forget about. Mokian was laying next to him, obviously naked, her dark hair spread across the pillow and a content smile on her face.

John smiled and moved a piece of her hair from her face. She had beautiful delicate features and most of all, she wanted him. He knew he should be feeling guilty about he didn't, Elizabeth had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to end things so why shouldn't he move on, why shouldn't he be happy?

Slowly Mokian slid closer to John, sliding one of her arms around his waist. She opened her eyes and looked

up at John smiling.

"Good Morning"

John smirked

"Yes it is"

* * *

When Ronon saw Teyla standing, talking with Rodney he walked over to them. When Teyla saw Ronon she sighed. It seemed like he hadn't slept properly all night. 

Teyla smiled at him and sighed

"Are you okay?"

Ronon shook his head and looked around the village before turning back to Ronon.

"I was going out of my room last night to get some air, when I came back I saw Mokian going into Sheppard's room"

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment and Rodney just stood there stunned.

"Maybe it was innocent. Maybe..."

Ronon cut her off by shaking his head.

"I was awoke all night, couldn't sleep, and believe me, I know for a fact that she didn't leave Sheppard's room"

Teyla took a sharp breath and Rodney looked away from them, just in time to see John and Mokian walking towards them, looking very close.

Rodney nudged Teyla and Ronon, pointing them in the direction of John and Mokian. Teyla just sighed and walked away.

"I'm going to check in with Dr Weir"

John and Mokian reached Rodney and Ronon just as Teyla was entering the forest.

"Where's she going?"

Ronon didn't answer, instead he turned away from them and ran to catch up with Teyla. John chuckled

"What's with those two?"

Rodney shrugged

"Nothing, they are just going to check in with Elizabeth"

John shook his head

"Why? We'll being going in an hour anyway"

Rodney sighed, trying hard to keep his anger about John and Mokian under wraps.

"Well in case you forgot Colonel, she wasn't feeling too good yesterday. We just want to make sure she's feeling okay."

Rodney resisted the urge to add, a 'like you care' but it was implied and John knew that. He glared at Rodney before turning to Mokian, smiling and leading her away.

Rodney curled his hands before following in the direction Teyla and Ronon had headed in.

**

* * *

Atlantis**

"So when do you guys think you'll be back?"

Elizabeth saw Ronon shrugged slightly

"_As soon as possible hopefully"_

Elizabeth smiled at his tone.

"Not having fun Ronon"

"_I can safely say that I don't care for these people_."

Elizabeth suddenly became very concerned by his tone

"Is there something I should know Ronon?"

Elizabeth thought she saw him looked down for a moment as if contemplating whether to tell her something

"Ronon?"

Ronon looked back up at the camera and smiled slightly

"_No, just don't like the people"_

Elizabeth tilted her head slightly to one side

"Well, even if you don't like them, please be nice to them. We need the resources."

Ronon nodded

"_If I must"_

Elizabeth chuckled at his tone, but she knew he wouldn't do anything to screw up their alliance with the Krickmarkians.

"Yes you must"

Ronon looked like he was about to say something else when someone placed a hand on his shoulder and came into shot.

"Colonel?"

John smiled but Ronon shrugged away from him and walked away from the camera. Elizabeth watched him go before turning back to John.

"So I've heard things are going well. Good job"

John nodded and smiled slightly

"_Thank you Ma'am. The leader of Krickmarkians has asked to meet you. He just wants to go over some things."_

"When?"

"_As soon as possible"_

Elizabeth nodded

"I'll be there within the hour"

She saw John nod then turn off the camera.

**

* * *

Krickmark **

Elizabeth appeared on the otherside of the Stargate. Ronon, Teyla and Rodney were waiting for her. Elizabeth walked over to them smiling.

"Hey"

Teyla smiled back at her.

"It is good to have you here"

Part of her didn't want her here. She didn't want Elizabeth to see John with Mokian but another part of her thought that maybe it was better if Elizabeth found out now. At least it would make it easier for her to move on. All three of the people escorting Elizabeth to the village were thinking the same thing. All three cared about her and were ready to hurt John at her word, not that she'd ever tell them to do that.

As they reached the village they saw John with Mokian, acting quickly Teyla stepped in front of her.

"Dr Weir..."

She wasn't quick enough though and Elizabeth saw it. She saw John lean down and kiss the smaller woman. She froze when she saw it. Just for a moment but she froze, and the three of them saw it.

She watched him kiss her again and that was enough. Elizabeth turned around and walked away from them. Teyla was about to go after her when Ronon stopped him.

"No. Let me go"

Ronon went after her. When he reached her he grabbed her arm and stopped her. Elizabeth turned to him, she wasn't crying but Ronon could tell she wanted to. Ronon pulled her lightly towards a log which was on the ground. He made her sit down before sitting next to her.

They sat in silence for a while, the only thing they could hear was the faint buzz of the village behind them. He'd never comforted Elizabeth before, they'd become friends but he still wasn't sure about how close they had become as friends.

"I should have told you this morning before you came. I'm sorry"

Elizabeth turned to Ronon

"You knew and you didn't tell me?"

Ronon sighed and closed his eyes before looking back at her.

"I didn't want to hurt you. You've been ill lately, I noticed you've been pale and disconnected for about a week, and I didn't want to add to the stress. I didn't know they were going to ask you to come here and when they did I assumed Sheppard wouldn't flaunt her in your face."

Elizabeth sighed

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to snap at you, it just...it only ended yesterday. I guess it doesn't take him long to get over things."

Ronon hesitantly placed his hand on her arm.

"He's not worth it. He doesn't deserve you"

Elizabeth smiled slightly and Ronon continued unable to stop himself

"She's not as smart as you and she's certainly not as attractive as you"

Ronon stopped as soon as it was out of his mouth. He closed his eyes and cringed after a minute he opened his eyes and saw Elizabeth looking at him. She was just staring and it was making him uncomfortable. Ronon shrugged and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Plus she's a lot fatter than you"

Elizabeth chuckled slightly at that. He'd found out that when it came to women from Earth, well the more insults you can give to the other women who had stolen your man the better.

"Yeah, she did look fat didn't she"

Elizabeth knew it wasn't true but it made her feel slightly better to insult this woman. Elizabeth stood up and sighed.

"He's going to know, as soon as he sees me he's going to know he's hurt me"

Ronon stood up and shrugged

"Don't let him see it. Hide it. Go up there and say to her 'Mokian it's really nice to meet you'"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and started to walk back to the village with Ronon.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine

* * *

Teyla stared at John, daggers flowing from her eyes. Rodney had already had to keep her from going over there and hitting him. He'd never really known how close she and Elizabeth were but it seemed to be enough to make Teyla lose her respect for John. 

"He is such a..."

Teyla stopped and turned to Rodney

"Give me an Earth word to insult him"

Rodney shrugged; he'd been going through certain words in his own head so they just rolled off his tongue

"Slut, whore, Kirk, son of a bitch, bastard..."

Teyla stopped him, she'd had heard that word fly around Atlantis several times, though she'd never used it and she didn't know what it meant

"He is such a...bastard"

Rodney smirked; he had never heard Teyla swear before. She always seemed far too polite and sweet, a bit like Elizabeth. Rodney patted her on the shoulder lightly just a Ronon and Elizabeth rejoined them.

Teyla took Elizabeth hands in her and smiled apologetically at her, before Teyla could speak Elizabeth smiled at her.

"It's fine Teyla. I'm fine"

Teyla nodded slowly but still held onto her hands, running her fingers over Elizabeth knuckles.

"If you are sure"

Elizabeth nodded

"I am"

Teyla dropped Elizabeth's hands, dropping her own arms to her side. Elizabeth took a deep breath as Ronon nodded over to John, Mokian and Lokmic as they walked over to the group. John stood between the two groups people are started to introduce them.

"This is Dr Weir, our leader. Dr Weir this is Lokmic and his daughter Mokian."

Elizabeth smiled and shook the hand which Lokmic offered her.

"Greetings Dr Weir, it is good to meet you, your people speak highly of you"

Elizabeth continued to smiled

"It is good to meet you too. I have heard nothing but good about you and your people."

Elizabeth than turned to Mokian and took her hand, shaking it and smiling.

"It is good to meet you Mokian"

Mokian smiled genuinely at Elizabeth's warm greeting. John knew better though, he knew that the smile Elizabeth was wearing was her fake diplomatic smile, and he shot her a glare which was immediately deflected by the glare he received from Ronon.

**

* * *

Atlantis**

The team arrived back on Atlantis several hours after Elizabeth had left. Lokmic had enjoyed a long, very long, talk with Elizabeth, that she had managed to stay awoke during, only due to Ronon and Rodney nudging her at specific intervals. She had concluded though, that Lokmic was a nice guy and she was looking forward to getting to know him and his people. The part she hated was that she had had a talk with Mokian and had started too actually like the woman. If she was honest with herself she knew Mokian wasn't at fault, she didn't even know what had happened between John and Elizabeth, all she knew was that Elizabeth was their leader.

When they stepped back onto Atlantis, Elizabeth ordered them all to the infirmary and then to a briefing where they discussed the terms of the treaty with the Krickmarkians, introduction of more effective medicines and an ally against the Wraith. Eventually after a short meeting Elizabeth sent them all away with an instruction to get some rest and take a few personal days.

All the team left the briefing room, except John who held back. When Elizabeth looked up and saw him she sighed inwardly

"What can I do for you Colonel?"

John stood up and moved to the chair next to her. He cleared his throat

"I know there is a way I could have done it smoother than I did. For that I am sorry"

Elizabeth nodded and bit the inside of her mouth. She didn't know how to respond, she didn't know if she wasn't to respond.

"I understand and I'm fine with it. Let's not mention it again"

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth stopped him by standing up

"Please John. Not again"

With that final word she left the room, leaving John in the briefing room.

* * *

Two months later

It had been just over two months since they first met with the Krickmarkians and things between them were going great. Both sides were sticking to what they had promised the other and they had had no upsets yet, major or minor.

John had been spending a lot of time on Krickmarkian and in the beginning Elizabeth tried to pretend that it didn't bother her, but Teyla, Ronon and Rodney knew it did. After a few weeks Ronon had found Elizabeth in the mess hall early in the morning. She'd told him she was having trouble sleeping, when Ronon asked her how long it had been going on and she admitted that it had been happening since going to Krickmarkian, Ronon had dragged her down to the gym and started to spar with her, telling her that she needed the training and if she was going to be awoke so early in the morning she might as well do something useful, and her training was going well. Ronon had been surprised at how quickly she was learning, she was still no match for him but he could tell she had a natural ability which, properly nurtured, could grow into something amazing. She'd never missed a session and Ronon knew that despite the bruises she was receiving from getting her ass kicked everyday she was enjoying herself and enjoying what she was learning, so one morning when she didn't show up Ronon headed off to her quarters. He knocked on the door softly

"Dr Weir. Dr Weir"

When he received no answer in punched in his identification code and stepped into the room. He saw Elizabeth curled up on her bed, still sleeping. Ronon considered leaving her there but knew that she would have to get up soon anyway, so instead he walked over to the bed and bent down next to her.

"Dr Weir"

When she didn't move he switched on the light which sat on the bedside table. When he looked at her again he could see properly that she was shaking and had a layer of perspiration on her whole face. He touched her forehead carefully and was shocked by how feverish she was. Quickly he tapped his radio and called Carson

"Beckett is Ronon. I need you in Weir's room"

"_What's wrong lad?"_

The Scot sounding tired and groggy as if he'd fallen asleep during his night shift

"Weir's feverish, shaking, she's deathly pale"

Carson suddenly woke up quickly; Ronon could hear him rushing around as he spoke

"_I'll be right there son, just try and keep her temperature down till I get there"_

Ronon pulled her out of the covers which were wrapped tightly around her, hoping it would cool her down, he he looked down and saw that she was wearing only a tank top and shorts, he pulled the thinnest and coolest blanket back round her, while struggling to avert his eyes and opted to cool her down with a wet towel. He went to the bathroom and soak a towel in ice cold water before returning back to her and pressing it around her head, neck and the top of her chest. As he did this he wondered what the hell could be taking Carson so long to get there. A moment later Carson showed up the room. Ronon was pushed to the side as Carson quickly assessed what was going on.

After a while Carson moved away from her and got on his radio asking someone to move Elizabeth to the infirmary.

Ronon turned to Carson. Carson could see that he was clearly worried and that for him was quite interesting. He'd never know how close Ronon and Elizabeth were.

"Is she going to be okay?"

Carson smiled and nodded

"Aye lad, it looks like she's caught that flu virus that's going around. A few days in the infirmary and she'll be fine."

Ronon smiled slightly and nodded

"Good. That's good"

Carson nodded in agreement

"I don't want her worrying about the city. You might need to call back Colonel Sheppard early from his mission"

Ronon shook his head

"High level mission, I can't. He won't be anywhere near the Stargate anyway"

Carson sighed and shook his head

"Then who's in charge. It's too late the call back Colonel Caldwell, he's half way back to Earth right now"

Ronon nodded and sighed

"Who's the most senior civilian member of the expedition?"

Carson grimaced and looked at Ronon, less than enthusiastic at who he was going to say

"With Colonel Sheppard off world and Elizabeth incapacitated the most senior member is Rodney"

Ronon closed his eyes and shook his head trying to get the image, of how badly Rodney would screw up the city in two days, out of his head. Slowly he opened his eyes and sighed

"So, we team him up with Teyla. At least that way we can limit the damage"

Carson nodded in agreement

"Good idea lad"

* * *

Two days later

Ronon sat watching Elizabeth as she slept. It had been two days and she still hadn't woken up. Beckett wasn't worried though, he said it was probably best that she was sleeping through the worst of it. John still wasn't back on Atlantis which meant that the terrible tag team of Teyla and Rodney were still ruling the city. Not that they were doing a bad job, it was just that neither had the skill Elizabeth had.

Ronon had decided to stay out of it so he had spent most of his time just down in the infirmary waiting for Elizabeth to wake up or in the gym kicking the asses of a few cocky Marines who decided that comments about Ronon's concern for Elizabeth where necessary.

So when Elizabeth did wake up Ronon was glad.

"Hey."

Ronon looked at Elizabeth and smiled. Her voice was raspy and her hair was going in all directions across her face.

"Hey. How you feeling?"

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes

"Like I've just had the best sleep of my life."

Ronon nodded

"You've been asleep for at least 48 hours so it's not surprising."

Elizabeth nodded, than realised a something shocking.

"48 hours? Who's been in charge of my city?"

Ronon smirked and leaned closer to her

"McKay..."

A look of absolute horror crossed over Elizabeth's face

"...and Teyla"

Elizabeth faced softened slightly at the mention of Teyla's name.

"Thank God for Teyla. Rodney hasn't been giving her a hard time as he"

Ronon shook his head.

"No. Actually they're a great team. Half the city hates McKay but respects Teyla and the other half are scared Teyla but respect Rodney"

Elizabeth nodded

"Never forget there is a two percent margin of error. They'll be someone out there who hates them both and doesn't respect them."

Ronon nodded

"Yeah, that'll be Kavanagh and Bates."

Elizabeth laughed slightly and closed her eyes again.

"Leave Bates alone, he's okay"

Ronon smiled

"What about Kavanagh?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and smirked deviously

"Him, you can torment"

* * *

The Stargate activated, drawing Teyla and Rodney from Elizabeth's office which they were currently sharing. They headed to the technician in charge of the Stargate and its shield who turned to them and before they could even ask he reported 

"It's Colonel Sheppard and the team"

Teyla nodded

"Lower the shield."

The technician did as he was asked and a moment later he John, Lorne and the team stepped through the 'Gate. It looked like the mission had been successful; they were all wearing smiles and not one of them looked injured.

Teyla and Ronon headed down the steps and walked towards the team.

"Welcome back. Was the mission successful?"

John nodded, handing his P-90 to a member of the team to take to the armoury.

"So what happened while I was gone? Where's Weir?"

Rodney cleared his throat nervously, knowing that he would be pissed about not being called back.

"Erm...she..."

Teyla cut him off, knowing he would spend a few minutes babbling

"Dr Weir was taken ill a few days ago. She is in the infirmary, resting"

John looked in disbelief

"So who's been in charge of the city?"

"Myself and Rodney took command"

John continued to look at them in disbelief

"Excuse me"

John walked away from them and headed in the direction of the infirmary. He was pissed about being kept out of the loop. He knew Elizabeth had done it to spite him, he couldn't believe that she would be so petty. By the time he reached the infirmary he had worked himself into a fury, so when he saw her laughing with Ronon he saw red.

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth looked up and smiled slightly.

"John, you're back. How was the mission?"

John didn't take to well to the tone of Elizabeth cheeriness.

"Why the hell didn't you get Teyla to call me? I should have been in command, not those two"

Ronon didn't even let Elizabeth answer as he pushed John to one side.

"Hey, do you want to get your facts straight? Elizabeth was asleep for over 48 hours. She woke up today. She had no say in who was in charge. I told Rodney and Teyla that calling you would be pointless, you wouldn't have been able to come back before now anyway, not if you wanted the mission to be a success. So before you start blaming her, get the facts straight."

John relaxed his muscles and lent back against the wall.

"I didn't know"

Ronon nodded

"That's because you didn't ask. Now I'm sure she'd gladly put you in charge now you are back."

John sighed and walked over to Elizabeth, who had obviously been watching them. She was still slightly pissed by how John had spoken to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and swallowed hard.

"Get Carson to check out and your team out, than get some rest, you're sleep deprived."

John nodded slowly and sulked off to see Carson.

Ronon walked back over to Elizabeth but before he could speak she cut in.

"Call Rodney and Teyla and ask them to come down here."

Ronon nodded and tapped his radio, asking Rodney and Teyla to come down to the infirmary. A few moments later the two of them walked into the infirmary and smiled when they saw Elizabeth awake.

Teyla walked over to her and hugged her lightly.

"It is good to see you awake Elizabeth."

Elizabeth smiled at them as the surrounded her bed.

"So what did you want to see us about?"

Elizabeth became very serious as she looked at them all.

"I want it to end. I want all the prejudice you've been giving towards John to end. I want you to give him the respect he deserves. He is your team leader and if I heard about any one of you giving him a hard time, I will not be happy"

Rodney shook his head slightly

"But..."

Elizabeth cut him off quickly

"No Rodney. I mean it, I've gotten over it and you should too"

Elizabeth watched as Teyla and Rodney nodded slowly. She then turned to Ronon who hadn't responded.

"Ronon"

Ronon sighed and nodded

"Okay"

"I'm serious Ronon"

He nodded

"I know. I'll be civilised to him, but I'm doing this for you. Not him"

Elizabeth sighed slightly, knowing she would have to deal with just having that.

* * *

When the infirmary was quiet Carson left his office and walked over to where Elizabeth was laying. 

"How are you feeling Elizabeth?"

She smiled

"Much better"

Carson sat down on the chair next to Elizabeth bed. He sighed slightly.

"Elizabeth I took a sample of your blood when we brought you into the infirmary the other day. While going through your sample I found something which I didn't expect to."

Elizabeth sat up and nodded.

"What did you find?"

She tried to act brave but she was slightly scared what he had to say. Carson sighed.

"Elizabeth, you're pregnant"

Elizabeth looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

Carson told her again but received the same answer. Elizabeth continued to look at him in shock before finding her voice again

"How long?"

Carson cleared his throat again.

"Two and a half months"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and lent her head against the wall behind her and Carson continued

"It's John's, isn't it?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly as she drew her legs up to her chest. Carson placed his hand on her should as a sign of support before leaving her alone to work through what he had just told her.

* * *

Ronon entered the infirmary. It had been several hours since Elizabeth had made him promise not to give John a hard time anymore. 

He'd gone and took his frustration out on a few Marines and now he was going back to Elizabeth to make that promise again, he hadn't meant it the first time and he knew he wouldn't honour it. So he'd decided to go back and see her and promise that he wouldn't give John a hard time.

He walked to Elizabeth's bed, when he saw her with her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them, looking away from him, he got very worried.

"Dr Weir."

She didn't answer or even recognise his presence. He placed his hand gently on her shoulder

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth turned round to face him. Her face was slightly red and he could tell she had been crying. He sat down next to her on the bed.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed

"No"

Ronon slipped his arm around her shoulders and whispered into her ear

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Elizabeth turned her head away from him and tried to shift away but Ronon wouldn't let her.

"Hey, what happened?"

He thought he could hear Elizabeth crying but when she looked at him that wasn't the case.

"I'm pregnant"

Ronon's reaction was much like hers

"What?"

Elizabeth shifted away from him.

"I'm having a baby, John knocked me up. Which part of that don't you understand?"

Elizabeth rubbed her face with her hands and sighed.

"I'm pregnant"

She said it again as if still trying to believe it herself. Ronon didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to make this better.

"Are you going to tell him?"

Elizabeth shook her head quickly.

"I can't. He's with Mokian, he as a right to live his life. I won't destroy that for him"

Ronon sighed

"What about you? What about your life?"

Elizabeth shrugged.

"The baby will become a part of my life and I'll deal with it"

Elizabeth turned to him, a look of pleading on her face

"You'll be there, right? If I need you"

Ronon nodded and held her hand

"I'll be there for you"

* * *

One months later

**Krickmark**

Mokian moaned in pleasure as John slip into her, hard and rough. She knew something was going on in his head, it had been since they got together, but he'd never told her. All he'd said is that was that it was work related and she shouldn't worry. She nibbled at his neck as he pushed down into her. She loved John. She was sure she'd made that obvious to him. She hoped he loved her too. Her father liked him and always hinted at the two of them joining in matrimony and giving him grandchildren, and Mokian wanted it all. She wanted John, she wanted to be his wife and have his children, although John didn't seem receptive to that. She'd drop hints but he never picked up on them. Sometimes she wondered whether he was right for her, but than he was kiss her and make her feel this way and that would melt away any doubts she had.

She still feared there was something important that he wasn't telling her but decided that if John told her it was work related, it must be.

Mokian moaned as John's lips kissed her neck. He was saying something over and over again. but she couldn't make out the word, she could just feel it as his lips kissed her.

When he moved away from her neck and rested his forehead on her she still knew he was saying something. His warm breath tickled her face as he came inside of her. But as he did, something beyond his control slipped out of his mouth.

"Elizabeth!"

Mokian stopped. John stopped. They both stared at each other until Mokian pushed him off of her, got and the bed and found her clothes.

John couldn't even look at her, he felt so guilty.

"Mokian..."

Mokian cut him off sharply

"Elizabeth...that is Dr Weir's first name. You were thinking of her while you were with me?"

Mokian asked him, she hoped there was some excuse but knew that nothing he sat could make it right.

"I'm sorry, it just slipped out"

He was sorry, he didn't want to hurt her that was the last thing he wanted to do. He cared about her a lot, he wasn't in love her, he didn't know why but he just wasn't.

Mokian sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed.

"I can not forget this John. I don't think I can forgive it."

John nodded understanding. He knew why it was difficult for her.

"So what now?"

Mokian stood up and looked at him. The tears were piercing her eyes threatening to fall.

"I can't be with you if you're thinking about someone else"

Mokian gave him one last look of sadness before leaving the room, and leaving him all alone.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not mine, never mine

* * *

One month later

**Atlantis**

Elizabeth sighed as she realised she was not going to fit into her trousers. She had put on weight, damn pregnancy.

Elizabeth fell backwards onto her bed and tried again to fasten her trousers, stopping when there was a knock on her door.

"It's Ronon"

Elizabeth smiled to herself slightly

"Come in Ronon"

Ronon walked into the room and smiled when he saw her laying on the bed. Elizabeth turned her head to him and sighed

"I'm officially fat."

Ronon chuckled to himself and pulled her off the bed

"You're not fat, just pregnant."

"If you deal with the nausea and weight gain, pregnancy is just one big thrill"

Ronon chuckled and Elizabeth walked to her closet and pulled out some more trousers. She walked into the bathroom and changed into them while Ronon waited for her outside. She came back into her room and walked over to the mirror, taking a look at herself. She smoothed out her clothes over her stomach. She didn't have a bump, not really, yet but she knew it wouldn't be long. Soon everyone would know.

Ronon came up beside her

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth turned to him and smiled

"I'm fine"

Suddenly Ronon realised how close they were standing to each other. They were close enough so he could feel her breathing, to feel her warm breath on his neck. Ronon took a step back from her and smiled

"Good. We should get going"

Elizabeth nodded, grabbed her radio and left the room with Ronon following her.

* * *

Ronon's close relationship with Elizabeth had caused him a problem. Teyla. She'd noticed how close he was becoming with Elizabeth and it was making her openly jealous. She knew Elizabeth was her friend and hoped that she would never do anything to hurt her but she couldn't be couldn't be sure of that. She'd noticed a change in Elizabeth lately and couldn't help but think that it had something to do with Ronon. 

She'd made the suggestion to Rodney who just stared at her before telling her that she was being irrational and of course there wasn't nothing going on, after all Ronon wasn't Elizabeth's type.

Teyla had nodded and slowly and tried to believe Rodney but she couldn't get over the nagging feeling that maybe he was wrong.

* * *

One month later

If Elizabeth was honest with herself, she knew telling John would be best, but as she looked down at her small bump, which cocooned her child, she was suddenly reluctant to do so. She didn't know if she wanted John involved with her and her baby. He was so unreliable at times and she didn't know whether she could put her child through having a father like that.

There was a knock on the door, which broke Elizabeth out of her musing, followed by a voice

"It's me"

"Come in"

The door opened and Ronon stepped into the room carrying a jacket, which he passed to Elizabeth who was still dressed in her pyjamas.

Elizabeth smiled

"Thank you Ronon. I needed something to cover this"

Elizabeth turned round and pointed to her stomach.

Ronon looked down, his eyes wide. The bump had gotten there so quickly that he didn't even realise. Ronon stepped closer to Elizabeth and placed his hand on her bump. She didn't even tense, instead she slid her own hand down to the bump and placed it next to his, their fingers touching every so slightly.

That moment was the moment Ronon realised he was, for the first time in his life, in over his head. Quickly he removed his hand and stood back.

"I...I should go and let you get changed"

Ronon left the room, not even waiting for a response from Elizabeth.

As he walked through the Atlantis corridors, he knew what he had to do. He had to do the one thing that Elizabeth would kill him for. He walked to the gym knowing who he was looking for would be there. As he entered, he could see John already training with some Marines. He waited for a second before walking up to John.

"Sheppard, you got a minute?"

John nodded and walked with Ronon to the side of the room. John leant against the wall and sighed

"What can I do for you Ronon?"

Ronon looked towards the Marines to make sure they were out of earshot before turning back to John.

"Here's a bit of advice which I suggest you act upon. Go to Dr Weir's quarters. Now"

John looked at him in a self of disbelieve and sighed

"What is this Ronon?"

Ronon leant closer and sighed

"This is advice you should act upon. Go now and don't knock. Just walk in"

John continued to look at him sceptically but there was something in Ronon's eyes, which shouted honesty.

"Fine. But I swear if this is a set up I will make your life very difficult"

John pushed himself of the wall and walked around the winding corridors to Elizabeth's quarters. He didn't know what Ronon was playing at but whatever it was it'd better be worth it. He didn't want to see Elizabeth. Since he'd said Elizabeth's name that time with Mokian, everything she'd done had been driving him crazy. He'd tried refusing her requests and acting like a bastard to her, anything that could make her hate him but she had just brushed off everything he had done as if it was nothing. He wanted her to hate him so maybe he could get away from her, stop thinking about her, but his plan was not working. So he'd decided on another plan, this plan was to just stay away from her but it turned out that wasn't going to be easy either.

When John reached her quarters he was about to knock on the door when he remembered what Ronon had said. Annoyed at the cryptic clue he punched in his security code, the door swished open and the door opened. John walked in but didn't see her. John cursed Ronon and was about to turn round and go when the bathroom door opened and Elizabeth stepped out. She was wearing trousers but no t-shirt. John didn't notice on the first look but on the second he realised what Ronon had sent him to see.

It was the small bump, which she had obviously been hiding. When Elizabeth saw him, she quickly grabbed the jacket, which was sat on the edge of her bed. She put it on quickly and fastened it, hoping he hadn't noticed before glaring at him

"What the hell do you think you're doing just barging in here?"

John didn't answer, he just keep staring at her bump. He'd seen it and she knew that when he didn't stop staring. John looked up and met her eyes

"You're pregnant?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, lent her head back and licked her lips nervously, a habit she'd picked up from John.

She took a long intake of air before releasing it and looking at him again.

"Yes"

John nodded slowly and took a deep breath of his own

"Am I...?"

Elizabeth knew what he was asking and nodded slowly. John looked down on the floor, for a second Elizabeth thought he was going to be sick and was about to ask him if he wanted some water or something but didn't get chance

"How far gone are you?"

Elizabeth sighed, knowing how pissed he would be

"About five months"

"Five Months!"

The tone and volume of his voice confirmed how pissed he was and Elizabeth was reluctant to wake up her neighbour, who had been working the night shift, with John shouting how many months pregnant she was.

"John keep it down, for crying out loud"

John lowered his voice but his tone was still the same, pissed.

"Five months and I'm just finding out about this now. What the hell were you thinking? Why didn't you tell me?"

Elizabeth sat down on the edge of her bed

"When I found out, you were with Mokian. It didn't seem right. Plus I would have felt worse knowing that you were with her while knowing I was carry your child."

John ran a hand across his forehead and sighed

"I'm guessing you don't know that Ronon sent me?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and shook her head

"I'm gonna kill him"

John smiled at that. He could only imagine a five-month pregnant Elizabeth killing Ronon with a sparing stick.

John walked over to the bed and sat next to her sighing.

"Who else knows?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"Just Carson, I think. Caldwell suspects something but he hasn't said anything."

John nodded and laughed slightly

"I didn't suspect this, when Ronon set me here I did not suspect I would be having this conversation with you"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement

"Well when Ronon walked out of that door fifteen minutes ago I did not suspect he was going to tell you."

John looked at Elizabeth in confusing about why Ronon had been in her room in the morning

"Why was he here?"

"He came to bring me this jacket, my other has gotten a bit too small"

Elizabeth turned to face John. When she saw the look he was wearing, she sighed in disbelief

"Do not give me that look John. He's just a friend, there is nothing going on."

John nodded

"I should hope so; he's with Teyla after all"

Elizabeth stood up and walked over to the cabinet, which she lent against.

"We've got some things to discuss"

John nodded in agreement and stood up

"I know and before you ask me, yes I want to be involved in our child's life."

Elizabeth nodded and then sighed heavily

"I don't have anything to say now. All I had was that"

John walked over to her and placed his hands on her arms.

"I think...I think it would be easier for the kid if he had parents who actually didn't hate each other"

Elizabeth smiled

"I don't hate you...unless you hate me"

John shook his head

"I don't hate you, what I mean is...I think that... I'm just going to come out and say this, please forgive my directness but Elizabeth I want us to be together."

Elizabeth stood shell shocked for a moment as she processed what John said. She wasn't sure she heard him right but the look on his face told her that she did.

"John that's...that's not something you can say and expect an answer to straight away"

John nodded and took a deep nervous breath

"I know but...I screwed up big, I know that. I hurt you and I didn't care but I know how stupid that was. And I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth leant heavily against the cabinet again.

"John...I know you're sorry and I do forgive you. But I don't know if I can trust you again and on the off chance you did something like that again...well lets just say I wouldn't want our child to see that. I wouldn't be able to deal with him asking 'Why as Daddy done that?' I just can't go through that"

John shook head

"I wouldn't do that"

"You can't promise me that, can you?"

John swallowed hard, knowing it was true. Elizabeth nodded knowing that he wouldn't be able to respond to what she had just said, knowing that it would be stupid to expect that childhood dream which she had of a loyal husband, beautiful children, a nice suburban house, a nice teaching job at the local school, weekend picnics and barbecue's. Sometimes childhood dreams wouldn't come true and this was one of those times.

Elizabeth stepped forward and kissed John lightly on the cheek.

"You'll always be his father and you'll always be special and important to me, but I can't put myself through it again"

She kissed him again before leaving her room and leaving John reeling about the fact that she had just broke his heart, and she knew she had done that because she had just broken her own.

* * *

One Week Later

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary. She was finding it difficult to believe that nobody had noticed her bump but they hadn't, so she wasn't going to tell them. They'd find out eventually.

She walked over to Carson who smiled and led her off to a private room which he'd set aside for her to be examined in during her pregnancy.

Elizabeth took off her jacket and slid on the bed. She then did undid the top button of her trousers as Carson lifted up her shirt and placed a cold gel on her stomach that Elizabeth couldn't remember the name of. Elizabeth knew it must have been funny when Carson secretly asked one of the Daedalus crew to bring the equipment he needed for the baby back from Earth without Caldwell or the SGC knowing, but she knew it wouldn't be as funny as what she was going to do on Caldwell's next trip back, which was ask him to bring back a crib and baby clothes. If he didn't get that she was pregnant then he never would.

Elizabeth smiled as she mused about the baby.

"Lets see how he's doing?"

Elizabeth sighed

"Must we always refer to him as a boy? If it's a girl we'll all look very stupid"

Carson nodded in agreement.

"Aye but...he'll never know"

Elizabeth smiled again and closed her eyes as Carson he turned on the monitor and placed the x-ray camera on her stomach.

Carson was quiet for a long time but Elizabeth didn't even realise

"How's he doing Carson?"

Carson was silent as he put down the device and felt around her stomach. Elizabeth's eyes opened sharply

"Carson?"

Carson picked up his stethoscope, a desperate look on his face, and placed it against her stomach.

"Come on, come on, come on. Please"

He said it so quietly that she didn't hear but she knew he had said something

"Carson, what's wrong?"

Carson put down his stethoscope.

"I...I..er...need a second opinion. Dr Murry, she's looked after you before, she's trustworthy. I'll go get her now"

* * *

John and the team stepped through the Stargate several hours later. Elizabeth was not in the control room like she usually was which was strange. What was even stranger was that Carson was waiting for them and they hadn't even asked for a medical team. Quickly Carson called Ronon and John over to him. He walked them out of the busy control room to somewhere quieter. 

"Elizabeth had her check-up today"

Both men nodded, they'd known that. She'd told them, they were both actually a bit upset they couldn't be there, after all Ronon had been with Elizabeth for every check-up she'd had. He'd seen all the scans and John was upset that he would be missing another chance at seeing his child. Even if it was just a grainy picture on a machine.

"And...What happened?"

Carson closed his eyes as he remembered the look on Elizabeth's face. The look on Dr Murry's face

"_Carson, what's wrong?"_

_Carson put down his stethoscope. _

"_I...I..er...need a second opinion. Dr Murry, she's looked after you before, she's trustworthy. I'll go get her now"_

_Carson hurried out of the private room and straight into his office. He lent against the wall and took a deep breath to stop the tears, which were forming. He'd seen this before; he'd seen it many times. It was never easy but this just seemed worse, because it was his friend, because it was someone he loved._

_Carson stood up and took another breath before leaving his office and walking up to Dr Murry_

"_Julianne, can I borrow you for a minute?"_

_She nodded and followed Carson. Julianne Murry was a young woman but very capable, very reliable and very trustworthy. When they got to the door Carson stopped and turned to her_

"_I need you to promise that what you see in this room stays in the room. If anyone else finds out, I'll know it's you who told them"_

_Julianne nodded_

"_What's the problem?"_

_Carson sighed, his voice cracking_

"_I need a second opinion. I'm not willing...I can't call this"_

_Julianne nodded as Carson led her into the room where he had left Elizabeth. _

_The minute she saw the bump she held back a 'holy shit' by biting the inside of her lip. Carson led her over to Elizabeth. He gave Julianne control of the machine and sat with Elizabeth who was looking increasingly worried_

"_What's going on Carson? What is she doing here?"_

_While Carson was explaining to Elizabeth that Julianne was there as a second opinion, Julianne had discovered what Carson didn't want to except or see. Slowly Julianne sighed and turned off the machine. She nodded at Carson who closed his eyes. _

"_Elizabeth...I...I couldn't locate a heartbeat"_

The whole world slowed down as John heard the sentence, which broke his heart. The second time his heart had been broken in a week.

John pushed back the tears

"Are you sure?"

Carson nodded sadly

"Well what now?"

Carson swallowed again. He was upset and nervous and he just wanted to break down himself but he knew he couldn't

"We...I removed the bab...foetus..." He corrected himself as if it would make it easier, it didn't "...under Elizabeth's request, straight away. She's in her room. She...She's upset and angry at everybody so I'd leave her alone for a little bit. I'm sorry John"

John nodded and walked away from the two of them. Obviously heading in the direction of the south pier. Ronon on the other hand headed off in the direction of Elizabeth's quarters. She might not want to see anyone, but he needed to check she was okay. As he reached her room, he knocked slowly on the door before allowing himself to enter.

He couldn't see her, but he could hear her crying in the dark room which obviously was reflecting her feelings. He walked round her bed and saw her curled up in a ball, she was gently rocking herself. One hand on her now flat stomach. Seeing her like that made a barrage of tears form in his eyes. Quickly he pushed them back and knelt down next to her. Carefully he pulled her into his arms. She gripped onto his arm tightly with one of her hands. They stayed like that for a few moments. He was sure she didn't even know it was him, even when he spoke it was like she didn't know he was there. Eventually he pulled away from her, she was still crying though.

He placed his hand on her's.

"Do you need anything?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"I just want my baby"

* * *

John stood gripping the railing of the south pier. His hands were red and blood was pouring slowly from where he had dug his nails into his skin. 

Teyla watched him from the doorway. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't know why Carson had wanted to talk to Ronon and John or why the two of them had left upset, afterwards. Slowly she left the doorway and walked over to John.

"Colonel Sheppard?"

John turned round, saw her and then turned back round and stared at the ocean.

"Teyla, I don't mean to be rude but can you leave me alone?

Teyla didn't. Instead she lent against the railing and sighed

"Rodney and I know something is going on. What aren't you telling us?"

John shook his head

"I can't deal with your's and Rodney's feelings of being left out. This stuff doesn't concern you"

Teyla sighed, slightly angry

"I am your friend. I care about you. You are obviously upset, now tell me why"

John had no strength to fight with her, not today.

"Elizabeth...Elizabeth lost the baby"

Teyla eyes suddenly got very big

"Elizabeth's pregnant?"

John shook his head

"Not anymore."

Teyla nodded slowly

"It was yours?"

John nodded slowly

"I only found out last week. She was five months pregnant and I didn't even realise. Ronon was the only reason I found out."

Teyla looked at John sharply when he said Ronon's name

"Ronon knew?"

John nodded slowly

"Right from the beginning. She trusted him but not me. Not that I can really blame her."

John hit his hands against the railing hard. Teyla grabbed his hands before he could do it again and pulled him away from the edge.

"John listen to me. Just listen. You're upset right now, very upset. But there's someone in the city who's just as upset as you right now and that's Elizabeth. She'll need you, especially tonight and you'll need her. So go to her room, put aside any difference you might have and be there for her. Hold her and tell her everything's going to be fine."

John nodded slightly and walked away from the pier and back into the city.

* * *

John walked to Elizabeth's room. He didn't bother knocking on the door; he knew she wouldn't answer anyway. Instead he punched in his security code, the door opened and he walked in. Elizabeth was curled up in the foetal position on the bed. Her back towards him. Slowly John walked over to the bed and laid next to her. She didn't shudder as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his head in her hair. She turned around though after about five minutes and buried her head in his chest. Her cheeks were wet, he could feel the tears soaking into his shirt, but he didn't care. He needed her to be with him. He needed to feel her next to him, even if it was only for one night. 

John felt like he was being punished, as if losing his child was punishment for hurting Elizabeth. Maybe he was to blame.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

Two months later

Elizabeth knew, after she started thinking clearly again, that she would, sooner or later, let John Sheppard back in her life, and as it turned out, her bed.

At first, it was comfort for both of them. It was something they both needed and wanted. It was the only time when they didn't think of what they had lost, which seemed silly really, but it was true. But now, now it was something that Elizabeth couldn't decide upon. Maybe it was still comfort, in some form but it felt so different from anything she'd ever experienced.

John didn't know that when she let him enter her room, a month ago, that he wouldn't be leaving. It had happened suddenly. She'd kissed him, he kissed her back and before he knew what was happening, they were in her bed and he was slipping inside of her.

They hadn't discussed it. They didn't want to know what they other had to say, in fear mostly. So this was what they did. They'd just lay wrapped up in each other, not talking, not really. Sometimes the odd comment about the city but nothing else.

* * *

Teyla was curled up on top of Ronon, she was so light she could do that and he wouldn't even realise. She was kissing his chest, making her way up to his neck. She bit at him in places leaving marks, which she knew everyone would see but she didn't care, she wanted to make it perfectly clear to every woman on Atlantis that Ronon was spoken for and she would kick their asses if they tried anything. She hadn't felt a feeling like this since Aiden. Aiden. There was someone she'd tried to forget but failed. She had loved Aiden; he had been so sweet to her. Sometimes she wondered what would have happened if he'd never run. Part of her felt guilty about that. She knew Aiden had been insecure; he'd been the only one on SGA-1 which didn't have a specific skill or trait. John had the gene, Rodney had science as well as the gene and she had the ability to kick some serious ass. He'd felt left out. It was no wonder he had decided to keep his new abilities. But he'd lost her in the process and she knew he'd figured that out the last time they saw him. 

Quickly Teyla kissed Ronon on the lips passionately.

"I love you"

Ronon had been enjoying the feeling of Teyla's lips over skin, exciting every nerve. He was lost in his own thoughts and his thoughts weren't of her, they were of someone else. Elizabeth.

She'd been stuck in his head for weeks, months. As Teyla was kissing his chest, part of him thought it was Elizabeth, part of him wanted it to be her. He moaned into the kiss as she attacked his lips. When he heard the words 'I love you', he jerked back from her slightly. She didn't seem to notice but when he pulled back from her, slid her off him and got out of the bed, she certainly noticed.

"Ronon?"

Ronon started to pace around the room, muttering to himself. Trying to work through, in his head, what he was feeling.

"Ronon look at me?"

Ronon looked round at Teyla who was now stood up facing him. She looked...upset...annoyed, but not pissed.

Ronon took a deep breath

"I care for you Teyla and I do love you but..."

Teyla held up her hand to stop him, she didn't want to hear it, but he needed her to hear what he had to say.

"I need you to hear this. Teyla, there's someone else that I..."

Ronon rubbed his forehead; he knew he had to tell her, he knew he couldn't keep it from her any longer.  
Teyla sunk onto the bed as she heard him say 'there's someone else'. She couldn't believe he'd do that to her, not after all the trouble he gave John when he got with Mokian. Then it hit her.

"Please not Elizabeth"

She watched as he looked down, not answering but that gave her the answer she wanted. In one swift movement, Teyla stood up and smack him in the face, hard, leaving a big red handprint on his face.

Ronon snapped his head back, he was pissed and ready to smack her back but he didn't. He curled his hands into fists and dropped them to his side, while Teyla continued to rant.

"How could you do that to me? How could she do that to me, she's supposed to be my friend"

Ronon grabbed her arms

"She's done nothing wrong. She would never hurt you; she loves you too much. It's just me."

Teyla turned her face away from him; she could still see him out of the corner of her eye. His eyes were begging her to understand.

"I'm sorry, but I...It's just something I feel and I can't hide from it. I wanted you to know. I wanted to be honest with you"

Teyla pulled back from him. She looked at him, her eyes were wet as she picked up her jacket and left the room.

* * *

Teyla sat in the mess hall drinking something Rodney had introduced her to when there had been no coffee, hot chocolate. Chocolate in general was great for curing the blues but drinking it while eating a solid chocolate bar was something needed when every girl had her heart broke. She'd been in the mess hall for a few hours, since Ronon's revelation. She hadn't wanted to go back to her own room, it was too cold and dark without Ronon. Teyla placed her feet on the chair opposite as she sipped her drink. She knew that the mess hall would be relativity quiet for another few hours. She was glad about that. She just wanted some alone time. 

But her silence was cut short when she heard someone walk into the mess hall. The person seemed to be walking in her direction and Teyla sighed inwardly. As the person walked round and stood opposite Teyla saw red.

"Morning Teyla. You're up early"

Elizabeth stood there smiling unaware of the trouble she had caused and it pissed Teyla off.

Teyla stood up quickly and sharply before leaving the mess hall. Elizabeth, worried, followed her quickly into the quiet corridors.

"Teyla. Teyla, what's wrong? Talk to me."

Teyla stopped and turned to her, her voice was low and dangerous as she spoke.

"You ruined everything. You're supposed to be my friend."

Elizabeth stood confused. She didn't have a clue what she'd done.

"Teyla, wait a minute. What's happened?"

Teyla rubbed her forehead and sighed

"Ronon"

Elizabeth shook her head

"What's Ronon done?"

Teyla near screamed the next part.

"He's in love with you"

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief

"No he isn't."

Teyla leant against the wall and sighed.

"He told me. He wants to be you."

Elizabeth shook her head

"I haven't encouraged it. I couldn't do that to you"

Teyla looked up at her; her eyes were full of tears

"I could never hurt you. You are my friend, I love you"

Teyla stood up properly again.

"Do you promise me that? You love me and would never hurt me"

Elizabeth nodded and Teyla walked towards her. She grabbed Elizabeth and kissed her. It was deep. Teyla grabbed Elizabeth's head and pushed her hard against her own lips.

After a moment, Elizabeth pulled herself back from Teyla and stood well away from her. She tried to speak but found herself lost for words. Teyla, also, was lost for words but she did understand why she had done it.

"I am sorry. I don't know what came over me. I..."

Elizabeth nodded

"It's okay."

Teyla sighed deeply

"I just wanted to know...what he...I know what he sees in you. I just...I wanted to understand."

Elizabeth sighed and walked forward towards her. She wrapped Teyla in her arms and held her.

They held each other for several minutes before Teyla stepped away from her.

Neither knew what to say. Teyla sighed.

"I should go get dressed. I have a training session with Colonel Sheppard soon"

Elizabeth nodded and placed her hand on Teyla's shoulder

"I'll talk to you later"

Teyla nodded and walked in the direction of her quarters.

Elizabeth waited for her to disappear before going off in the other direction towards Ronon's quarters.

She didn't know what she was going to do or say but she knew she had to do something for Teyla.

She knocked on the door when she reached his quarters then punched in her security code. She walked into her room to find him sitting on the bed. He looked like he had been sat there for a long time.

Elizabeth cleared her throat.

"You are going to talk to Teyla. You are going to explain to her that you made a mistake and that what you told her is not true"

Ronon shook his head and stood up

"I can't tell her that. It's not true"

Elizabeth looked sternly at him.

"Make it true."

Ronon walked towards her and stood close enough to feel each other breathing.

"I can't. You're just like her, not many can see that, but you are. You're both strong, you're both smart, powerful, graceful. But there's one difference, you drive me crazy"

Elizabeth looked up at him and he continued

"Everything about you just drives me crazy. As much as I love Teyla, I can't get you out of my head."

Elizabeth shook her head

"Try"

Ronon stepped forward and kissed her. It wasn't as rough has Elizabeth would have expected it to be. It was gentle, as if he didn't want to push her but it was still full of passion. Elizabeth's brain was screaming at her to stop this but she didn't. She kissed him back. Hard. With as much passion as he was kissing her with. Ronon placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Elizabeth's wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down.

She didn't know what she was doing, she wanted to stop but she couldn't. Ronon pushed her down onto the bed behind her. He continued to kiss her while his hands explore every dip and curve of her body, and she certainly wasn't resisting.

Ronon unzip Elizabeth's jacket and slipped it down her arms. He'd been waiting for her for too long. Elizabeth sat up and let the jacket fall off her arms. She dropped back down to the bed and let him hover over her as he kissed her deeply. Eventually he laid half on top of her and slid her top up. He began to trace her body. Her skin felt warm under his touch. He moved one of his hands up to her breasts and cupped them. Elizabeth moaned into his mouth as he undid her trousers. Elizabeth's hands were drawn to the zipper on his trousers and she started to undo them. Elizabeth stopped for a minute as Ronon tried pushed down her trousers. She pushed him away from her.

"I can't. I can't do this to Teyla"

Ronon moved next to her, his breathing was deep and heavy.

"I know you're loyal to her but..."

Elizabeth shook her head and sat up. She touched his cheek with her hand and leant in to kiss him again. She nipped his lip as she pulled away.

"I want you to know that I understand how you feel, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel something in return, but I'm not willing to hurt Teyla...and John"

Ronon sighed

"I can understand you not wanting to hurt Teyla but Sheppard; after all he did to you. Why do you even care about what he thinks anyway?"

Elizabeth grimaced

"The two of us have been...working things out, so to speak."

Ronon nodded slowly understanding what she meant by that.

"You took him back?"

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed

"I didn't take him back. We just...we needed each other...after I lost the baby. I needed him, he needed me"

Ronon looked down and shook his head

"I was here for you. You didn't need to go back to him"

Elizabeth rubbed her hand across her face.

"I need him because...he is all I have left of the baby. You don't understand what the feels like, every time I look at John, I think of our child and what he would have grown up into."

Ronon touched her cheek.

"You think it didn't hurt me. I loved that baby. I'd felt that baby move, I saw it move. He felt special to me. I couldn't wait to see him grow up. Losing that baby hurt me too, not just you and Sheppard."

Elizabeth hadn't know how losing the baby had effected him. She'd known he was protective of her and her child during her pregnancy but she never knew he had grown to love the child.

Elizabeth moved closer to him and cupped his face.

"I never knew. You never told me"

Ronon pushed away from her and stood up.

"I didn't want to burden you; I wanted to be strong for you. I couldn't break down."

Elizabeth stayed slumped down on the bed. She wondered if there was anything she could say to him. Slowly she rose up and walked over to him. They stood looking at each other for a few moments. Saying nothing, doing nothing, until Ronon placed his hands on her hips and pulled her forward to him. He wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on her head as she buried her head into his chest.

"I'm sorry Ronon."

She raised her arms from her side and wrapped them around him. They stood, just wrapped in each other's arms for a few minutes before Ronon moved his hands from her waist to her face which he cupped and turned upwards so she was looking at him. He lent his face down and kissed her.

Elizabeth stopped it straight away and sighed. She didn't know what to do. On the one hand, Teyla was her friend, while she and John had started what could be called a relationship and it seemed like he had changed, but on the other hand, there was Ronon. He had been there for her during some of the hardest times of her life the last few months. He also didn't seem the type to go off with a random woman on a planet. He was safe and maybe, just maybe, that's what she needed. Someone who would take care of her, who would love her.

Slowly she touched his cheek, she didn't want to hurt anyone but once she was going to think of herself. She met his lips.

* * *

Two month later

**Bala, Balaringing **

They'd kept it quiet, but a part of them was convinced that the others knew. There were things, small things. They would touch each other more than necessary. They'd spent a lot of time with each other, and of course this relationship drew the rumour mills away from Ronon and Elizabeth. What was more interesting, Elizabeth and Ronon or Rodney and Teyla? Rodney and Teyla was the answer that most on Atlantis said, after all, they weren't even sure if anything was going on between Elizabeth and Ronon but the dynamic between Rodney and Teyla was well talked about. Everyone was wondering how in the hell Rodney got a woman like that, what they didn't know is that Rodney had some talents that were not documented.

Teyla had gone to him not long after she'd finished with Ronon. She done it so they could both move on and she, also, was not stupid, Elizabeth had broke up with John not long after that, she knew that he and Elizabeth wanted to be together and she wouldn't stand in the way of that. She wanted them to be happy.

Going to Rodney had been risky; it had been entirely possible that he would knock her back. She'd been expecting it but he didn't and on that night she saw the real Rodney McKay. Still arrogant, still annoying but she saw compassion, love and romance in him that night. She hadn't expected that. No one would have expected that.

So they were sat there, Teyla had her hand slyly on his knee, running her fingers up and down, putting him in an increasingly difficult position. She knew what she was doing and loved it. Rodney shifted in his seat next to Elizabeth. Elizabeth kept turning her head slightly and glaring at him, she didn't know what Teyla was doing, if she had known she would have sent the two of them out of the negations they were currently in with the Balarines. Teyla knew that she shouldn't be doing this here but she was feeling very flirty today and couldn't keep her hands off him.

Teyla slid her fingers further up his thigh, as she slipped her hand to the inside of his thigh Rodney stood up and quickly excused himself from the negations. Teyla watched him leave, a very amused look on her face. Elizabeth saw the look on Teyla's face and sighed

"Teyla go with him please"

Teyla smiled and nodded as she stood up and left the room.

* * *

Rodney breathed a sigh of relief as he got out in the fresh air. Teyla was wearing him out. She was so demanding and he was not used to that. He rested against the wall as the door to the meeting area opened and Teyla stepped out smiling. Rodney groaned inward, wondering how Ronon used to deal with this, as she walked towards him. 

"Are you okay Dr McKay?"

Rodney decided something right there and then, Teyla Emmagan, despite her many talents, was one evil woman. Teyla smiled sweetly as she took his hands and 'checked his 'pulse'

"Dr McKay your pulse is racing"

Rodney swallowed hard and squeaked out

"Is it?"

Teyla nodded

"It is, we should do something about that"

Teyla drew in close to him and kissed him. Rodney was about to relax into it when he realised where they were and pulled away.

"Not in public"

Teyla stepped away and smiled.

"Honestly Rodney. You have no adventure about you"

"No adventure, I moved to another galaxy. If that's not adventurous…"

Rodney, though, trailed off when he saw a group of armed guards surround them

* * *

Ronon watched as Teyla left and then shot an amused look at Elizabeth, which she simply smiled at before turning back to the Balarine representative. 

"Sorry about that Governor Rele"

The Governor smiled and nodded

"Quite alright Dr Weir"

The Balarines were only one of three civilisations, which lived on the planet of Balaringing. There was Bala, where they currently were and they were also the more technically advanced of the three. There was a second civilisation called the 'Millians' who were close allies with the Balarines and were also currently negotiating with an Atlantis team, including John, in another part of the planet and finally there was the Molinas who were a civilisation that was ruled under military law.

The Atlantis team had tried to negotiate with them but they were not interested in negotiating with a civilian, and they were even less interested in negotiating with a woman. When their leader had said _'The Weaker sex shouldn't be involved in men's work. They should be simply there to serve us and our needs'_ Ronon was ready to hit him especially after he saw the look he gave Elizabeth, but Elizabeth stopped him. The last thing they needed was another enemy.

Elizabeth smiled back at Governor Rele before beginning to speak again but she was cut off when the door Rodney and Teyla had just existed out of swung open and a group dressed in the Monlinas Military gear stormed the room dragging Elizabeth and Ronon to their feet. One of the men also drew Governor Rele to his feet and stared him down before spitting at him.

"You and the Millians went against the wishes of Lord Litman. For that you will pay but until then we will just take these people."

Ronon tried to fight against the guards until Elizabeth stopped him with a shake of her head knowing things would be made worse if he tried anything.

Ronon stopped fighting against the guards and let them drag him and Elizabeth out of the room.

The two of them were bundled into truck like vehicles and drove passed the border into Monlinan territory. They were taken to a big stone building just outside the capital city.

The two of them then realised that Rodney and Teyla were in the first truck, which had been ahead of them for the whole journey.

The four of them were dragged inside the stone building and taken down a spiral staircase to the basement of the building. There were met with the sight of metal cage like cells. Elizabeth noticed straight away, who was already sat in the cell. It was John and the team he'd taken to the Millians. Ronon, Elizabeth, Teyla and Rodney were all thrown into separate cells next to each other.

Elizabeth stood up steadily from the position that she had landed. She walked to the back of her cells, which connected with the back of John's. John walked towards her and sighed

"They caught us off guard. Something about the Millians and Balarines disobeying their orders."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and nodded

"Same thing happened with us. Have they told you what they want?"

John shook his head

"No, apparently they want to speak to both of us."

Ronon rolled his eyes, sighed and walked as close to them as he could

"Last time we were here Lord Litman said he wanted nothing to do with us because Weir's in charge. Why would he want to speak with her?"

John could hear a tone in Ronon's voice, a tone he knew well, it was his tone or at least the tone he had when he and Elizabeth were together and something threatened her life. He'd know for a while what was going on, Teyla had told him, quite by accident really. He'd been annoyed, of course, that Elizabeth had broken up with him for Ronon, but then he had to admit she hadn't cheated on him, not like he had on her, on several occasions, she'd at least waited.

John snapped back to what Ronon had said and sighed

"I know and I can't explain it."

Elizabeth turned and rested her head on one of the bars behind her. She'd been in similar positions like this before but she knew that there was always a way out of it, either by negation or by force. John could see she was worried and lent forward to rest on his own bars.

"Don't worry. If the Balarines and Millians don't contact Atlantis to tell them, Lorne will send a rescue team when we're overdue."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, knowing it was true but also still worried about what could happen to them between now and then, after all they weren't due to make contact until tomorrow.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Not mine, I'm not that lucky.

* * *

Several hours had passed and they were still stuck in the cells. Elizabeth was sat with her back against Ronon's cell. Ronon was sat in a position where he could whisper in her ear without any of the others noticing. 

A few minutes later two guards came down and went to Elizabeth's cell. They unlocked it and dragged Elizabeth out. Ronon and John were on their feet straight away, as the guards dragged Elizabeth passed Ronon's cell and up the stairs.

"Where are you taking her?"

The guards didn't respond to Ronon's frantic shouting and questions. As he heard the door at the top of the stairs close and lock. Ronon's hit the cell hard with his fists.

He turned round to see John looking just as pissed and worried as he felt. Ronon walked to the back of his cell to the corner nearest to John's. John walked forward to him.

"How long will it take them to come after us?"

John sighed

"It's another twelve hours until we are to check in. After that time, Lorne will try to contact us. When he can't it will take another few hours to find out what's happening and than another few to hours actually put together a rescue mission..."

Ronon cut him off

"How long!"

His voice was tense and angry. John understood why, Elizabeth had just been hauled off somewhere and they didn't know where.

"15 hours at least. Probably 20 hours but that's if the Balarines and Millians haven't contacted them. If they have it'll be a lot sooner."

Ronon smacked his hand against the bars

"Think about what they could do to her in that time."

John nodded and sighed

"I know, but Elizabeth is strong. She might be able to talk to them, negotiate for our release. You just have to trust in her abilities. She's been in situations like this before and she's still here."

Ronon nodded and closed his eyes. He slid down the bars and sat down. His arms draped over his up knees.

"I don't want anything to happen to her. She's been through too much lately, I don't know if she could handle anything else happening."

John sighed. He managed to slip his hand through the bars and touch Ronon's shoulder.

"She's going to be okay"

* * *

Elizabeth was bundled into a small room. One of the guards entered with her and pushed her into a seat. 

"Lord Litman wishes to dine with you. You will go and enjoy his company."

He took a short red dress from a hanger and held it in front of her.

"You will change into this and look respectable."

Elizabeth shook her head

"No"

The guard, who obviously had no problem about hitting women, backhanded her across the face.

"You will not disobey me. I will not be undermined by a second class citizen"

He threw the dress at her

"Now change before I have to discipline you again"

Elizabeth stood up unsteadily

"Could I have some privacy?"

The guard looked her up and down before smirking

"No"

Elizabeth sighed and turned round. She removed her top and quickly put the dress on. She smoothed it over her body. She then unzipped her trousers and slid them off underneath the dress. She saw something land next to her. She looked down to see a pair or red shoes. Elizabeth sighed, removed her boots and placed the shoes on. As she did that, she spoke to the guard.

"You know, if you just told us what your problem is with us we could try and sort it out in a civilised way."

Elizabeth stood up straight and turned to face the guard. He was standing closer to her than she thought. She could feel him breathing deeply as his eyes roamed over her body again. Suddenly he grabbed her ass and Elizabeth jumped away from him. The guard just smirked and advanced on her. He pushed her hard against a wall, his hands slid up and down her body.

"I can see why Lord Litman requested your presence. You're feisty; we don't get feisty women on our planet anymore. It's been beaten out of them, quite sad really. If they were anything like you it would be very arousing."

The guard pushed his hips hard against Elizabeth and she could feel his growing arousal, quickly Elizabeth pushed him away and he just laughed and grabbed her arm hard and dragged her out of the room. He pulled her across the hall to a large banquet room. He pushed her down into a chair at a large table. He than walked to another door and opened it. Lord Litman walked into the room and sat down opposite her smiling.

"Thank you for joining me"

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head

"I didn't have a choice did I?"

Litman smirked

"Of course you did. You could have refused"

Elizabeth glared at him

"And what would have happened to me then?"

Litman smiled

"You would have been 'persuaded' to come"

Elizabeth smiled fakely at him

"You mean I would have been beaten until I complied"

Litman stood up and walked around the table to her. He grabbed her face and made her face him.

"How else do you expect I stop such insolence from women who think that they are better than what they are. Women are simply there for our pleasure and amusement. I do not take too kindly to women like you"

His fingers dug into her face hard as he placed one hand on her knee.

"You are very beautiful. I have three wives, but not one of them is as beautiful as you. Your only flaw is that mouth of yours."

He removed his hand from her face and slapped her

"Not to worry. I shall beat that out of you."

Elizabeth touched her cheek

"I'm not interested."

Litman stood up slightly pissed. He pulled her from the chair and knocked her to the floor. He kicked her hard in the rips.

"Your men have failed to teach you proper manners for your betters. I shall teach you"

Elizabeth closed her eyes. She knew what would come next but she didn't want to see it.

* * *

A few hours after Elizabeth had left the door to the basement opened. Ronon was the first to stand up and as he saw Elizabeth be dragged into the room. His first thought was 'What the hell is she wearing?' and the second was 'She looks good in that'. She fell to the floor and he became very worried when she didn't stand back up. 

"Elizabeth?"

Slowly Elizabeth looked up. He saw the bruises on her face, the cuts and the gashes.

He rushed to the bars and put his arms through. His hands just managed to touch her shoulders as he looked at her face

"What did they do to you?"

Elizabeth's voice was croaky

"They...Lord Litman said that I needed to be taught respect and manners for the dominate sex"

Elizabeth struggled to sit up. She moved to the bars, trying to get as close to Ronon's safe and warm arms as possible. To her safety.

John watched them with sad eyes, as did Teyla. Both knew Ronon and Elizabeth were together. And by the way Ronon was trying to wrap her in his arms and the way she was trying to rest her head on his shoulder as best she could was a big indication that they were falling in love, if they weren't already in love.

Ronon drew his hand through her hair.

"What did they do?"

Elizabeth wanted to cry, but she couldn't.

"They...they took me to a room, told me I was going to meet with Lord Litman. They made me dress in...this...Then they took me to meet him. He said things about me being...not respective of men, about me needing to learn that women are the weaker sex and should be taught better. He said Teyla was next."

Rodney and Teyla overhead this and moved as close as they could to her.

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked over and Rodney and smiled weakly.

"Hi Rodney"

Rodney hated to be so selfish but if Teyla was next he wanted to know

"They said Teyla was next?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"They said Teyla and I were corrupted. The sooner we learnt our place the better"

Rodney shook his head

"What does that mean?"

Elizabeth sighed and looked at Teyla

"Call me crazy but I think he's looking at Teyla and I as wives number four and five"

Teyla's mouth opened in disbelief and gasped.

"I believe the expression is 'over my dead body'"

Elizabeth chuckled slightly.

"Believe me, that wouldn't stop him"

John sighed

"What is he a necrophiliac?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"I wouldn't put it past him"

John nodded in agreement

"You're probably right"

* * *

It didn't take the guards long to come and get Teyla. They did the same with her as they did Elizabeth. Same type of dress, this time it was purple though. Same meal, same everything. Even the beating at the end but this time Teyla managed to get a couple of punches in. One for her and one for Elizabeth. She was eventually dragged back to the cell, her face bleeding but a smile on her face for having fought back. 

Rodney was instantly worried as she was pushed back in the cell but she assured him she was alright.

By this time, Elizabeth had already fallen asleep. She was so tired. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact that she hadn't slept well in a few days or whether it was the head wound but during Teyla's time away Elizabeth had curled up next to the bars. Ronon had also laid down next to her, he had taken off his long coat, slid it to the other side of the bars and draped it around her, and he was running his hand up and down face and shoulder. He was slightly worried when he thought he could hear her wheezing.

John had heard it too but reassured him that it had happened before and that after a few minutes she would be fine. Ronon was slightly annoyed that John knew more than him about Elizabeth but he was relieved when she started to breath normally again.

Ronon didn't really care if after this the team told everyone on Atlantis that something was going on between him and Elizabeth. All he wanted at the minute was to hold her and be near her. He knew he couldn't protect her if something was to happened. All he could do was be there for her, hold her and tell her that everything would be okay and that he would avenge anything that would happen to her.

* * *

A few hours after they brought Teyla back, six guards came into the room. Four went over to John and dragged him out of the cell while two grabbed the sleeping Elizabeth. She woke up startled as she was dragged to her feet, the coat slipping from her body, and out of the cell. 

The guards pulled the two of them up the stairs. Elizabeth was seated back in the banquet hall while John was taken somewhere else.

Elizabeth sat there with only a guard stood at the door watching her every move. It was the guard from earlier who had threatened to rape her.

She sat there for a few moments until a door opened. Elizabeth assumed it was Litman but it wasn't. It was John. He was wearing a red shirt, obviously to match her dress, and black pants. The first few buttons on the shirt were opened and Elizabeth had to admit he looked damn good. Elizabeth smiled at him as he sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth nodded

"How about you?"

John nodded back and smiled slightly.

"What do you think he's going to do to us?"

Elizabeth sighed

"He might be interested in making you wife number six"

John chuckled, it amazed him that it situations such as this she could keep the jokes coming.

Elizabeth and John hadn't really spent a lot of time together since they broke up. John just hadn't known how to be around her, how to have a conversation with her, but it was so easy now for them to talk and joke even when they were about to stare down a military commander who would most likely end up beating them.

Moments later the door opened and Litman walked in. He stood opposite them and smiled

"You two make quite a pair"

John and Elizabeth didn't answer. They just looked at Litman who sat down.

"Well, I think now will be a good time to talk business."

Elizabeth nodded

"Let's discuss why we're here"

Litman smiled and started

"We have been informed that Colonel Sheppard here and Dr McKay have special abilities. They have the power to active the devices of the ancestors. We need the technology"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Why do you need the technology?"

Litman smiled and stood up. He walked round to Elizabeth and touched her cheek.

"The Balarines have ruled this planet for too long, they are weak."

John shook his head slightly

"From what I understand you decide what the Balarines and Millians do."

Litman smiled and nodded

"Yes, but there are a few who are trying to overthrow us. We must send them a message. Our main message will be that if any try to form an alliance out of this world and try to gain their own independence, they will be punished. We will rule Balaringing, all shall live under our rule."

John closed his eyes in thought

"So you think Rodney and I can activate technology you have. Well I hate to disappoint you but Rodney and I have no special abilities"

Litman nodded and tilted his head before grabbing Elizabeth by the neck and dragging her to her feet.

"If you don't help us Dr Weir here will be harmed. And I know you wouldn't want that."

Litman took out a knife and drew it down Elizabeth's cheek. It cut her skin, blood poured out of the wound as he ran his free hand over Elizabeth's body. Elizabeth whimpered slightly in pain. John stood him and tried to stop him but the guard pushed him back down in his seat.

"No I want you to watch this"

He slid the knife down her other cheek, this time he cut her deeper.

"She has a beautiful face. Wouldn't you agree?"

John looked desperately at Elizabeth, she was in pain but her eyes were telling him not to agree to anything.

Tears formed in John's eyes as she saw the pain she was in. He was almost certain that he was going to kill her. John couldn't talk it anymore. He stood up

"Stop. Don't hurt her. If you want to kill someone, kill me. But not her"

Litman looked between John and Elizabeth. He could see how they were staring at each other. Elizabeth was shaking her head, trying to tell John that he didn't have to do this. Litman smiled

"You would really give up your life for hers?"

John nodded and stepped forward to them

"You love her that much do you?"

John looked at Elizabeth and nodded. Tears rolling down his cheeks.

"I do. I love her"

Litman smiled and threw Elizabeth over to a guard while he grabbed John and started to beat him. Elizabeth tried to turn away but the guard wouldn't let her. They wanted her to see this.

Elizabeth didn't know how long it went on but it seemed like it went on forever. Eventually Litman stopped and checked John's pulse. He smirked and looked up at Elizabeth

"Tell Dr McKay that unless he wants this to happen to Teyla. He will help us"

"Why have you killed him? You won't get what you want"

Litman smirked in a twisted way.

"He isn't dead. He may die yet and if he does I want you to witness that, knowing you are the cause, if he does regain consciousness maybe he'll think before refusing my order again."

Litman gestured for one of the guards to grab John.

"Take the two of these back to their cells. Better yet, put them in the same cell. If he dies I want her to feel his last breath"

* * *

Elizabeth was almost in hysterics as she and John were dumped back in her cell. She was immediately at John's side checking his pulse, totally unaware that Ronon was starting at her. 

Her fingers stayed on his neck longer that was strictly necessary as her forehead connected with his.

"Come on, stay with me. John you've gotta stay with me."

She removed her fingers from her neck, but kept her forehead connected to his head.

Ronon walked as near to the bars he could. He continued to watch her. He wished he could be in her head now; know what she was thinking. She was near enough to the bars for Ronon to stick his hands through and touch one of her shoulders. She slid away from John and slid up against the bars, keeping John next to her. Ronon placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"What happened?"

Elizabeth took a few deep breathes trying to control her sobs.

"He gave his life for me. They were going to kill me but he took my place"

Ronon made Elizabeth turn round to face him. He grabbed her face and ran his thumbs over the wounds on her cheeks.

"Why were they going to kill you?"

Elizabeth looked at him firmly in the eyes trying to hold some position of power but knowing that she wasn't fooling anyone, at least of all him.

"Litman wanted John to activate some Ancient technology. Apparently, they are the leaders of both the Balarines and Millians but they are some resistance cells out there and the Molinas want to send them a message. They need the ancient technology to do that."

Elizabeth remembered something and broke from Ronon's grip to turn to Rodney and Teyla.

"He said that the same would happen to Teyla if you didn't help them Rodney"

Rodney looked between Teyla and Elizabeth. He was in an impossible situation. If he didn't help them they could kill Teyla, if he did help them, they could still kill her. He was stuck.

"What do I do?"

Elizabeth looked at Rodney shocked. He never asked her permission, not really. She knew he couldn't decided. Elizabeth quickly looked at her watch and sighed. Lorne might not even know there was a problem yet. She didn't want to tell Rodney what to do, he had to decide this. Teyla saw the conflict that was burning in both Rodney and Elizabeth's eyes. She swallowed hard

"Don't give them anything Rodney. Do not help them"

Rodney turned round to Teyla has he heard her voice and her order. He walked over to the bars.

"I can't..."

Teyla stopped him by simply placing one of her fingers on his lips.

"Do not think of it as betraying me. You are not. I want you to do this. Do not help them Rodney. It is not worth it."

Rodney kissed the finger, which was still across his lips with such tenderness. Teyla placed another finger on his lips and stoked them gently.

They could see in each other's eyes how scared the other was. Rodney, in an act of tenderness that he had never exhibited before, slipped his arm through the bars and took her cheek in his hand. He pulled her forward and kissed her. It wasn't rough, it was gentle. It was sweet. It was caring. It was Rodney at his most vulnerable. He pulled her ear to his mouth and whispered something to her. Ronon and Elizabeth failed to hear it but knew what he had said as Teyla pulled back from him. Her eyes on the brink of tears as she mouthed back to him 'I love you too'.

Elizabeth looked at the interaction between them and suddenly felt so guilty. After all, there was something she knew, which she'd kept secret, which could stop Rodney from making such a heartbreaking decision

_Carson laid his hand on top of Elizabeth. She was anxious to leave the infirmary. She wanted to be by herself and he could understand that. She'd just lost her baby. _

_Elizabeth stared blankly passed Carson. She could hear him but she didn't want to look at him. _

"_Elizabeth. I know that this isn't important at the moment but I thought you should know. Your blood showed trace elements of the ancient gene, obviously because of the...baby...the gene could disappear over time...and I can see you don't really care. I'm sorry to bring it up now; I just thought you could use a distraction"_

_Carson kissed Elizabeth on the forehead_

"_You can go now"_

_Elizabeth got up from the bed and left the room. Not even nodding in response _

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. She knew it was possible she didn't possess the gene anymore but she knew she had to try. She couldn't let Rodney and Teyla go through that. So when the guards arrived in the basement a few hours later to take Rodney and Teyla, Elizabeth stood up.

"Wait. I possess the gene. I'm the only one who possesses the gene."

Ronon turned to her in shock. Rodney and Teyla were silent only for a moment until they snapped back to reality.

"Wait Elizabeth, what are doing?"

Elizabeth turned to him as the guard opened her cell and smiled

"My job"

She was dragged out of the cell still looking at Rodney and Teyla, until they disappeared from her line of sight.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

Litman was already in the room when Elizabeth entered. He'd obviously been informed that Elizabeth had said that she held the ancient gene. 

"So you are the one I should have been after from the beginning. I must say I am surprised that you allowed your precious John to come to harm knowing the truth."

Elizabeth stared at him hard. She didn't falter once as she stepped forward to him.

"And I'll have to live with that for the rest of my life. But now I want to discuss helping you."

Litman smiled and led her away to a side room, which was filled of ancient technology. Elizabeth stared in awe. She'd never seen so much technology in one room. Even in Atlantis.

Litman took her hand and led her to the nearest table. He picked something up and handed it to her.

"Activate it"

Elizabeth held it. She didn't know how she had to do this. Whether it was done by mental ability or whether she just had to hold it.

She held it for a few minutes before Litman snatched it from her hand and threw it back on the table.

"Liar. You said you possessed the gene"

Elizabeth nodded

"I do possess it. Let me try something else"

Litman picked something else up and slapped it in her hand. Elizabeth closed her eyes. She had to activate it, she didn't know what would happen if she didn't.

She thought it was about to activate when it was hit from her hand and she landed with a thump on the floor. Litman stood over her.

"You are a liar. For that I will kill Sheppard."

Elizabeth shook her head

"I'm not lying. I do possess the gene"

Litman looked her up and down.

"You are not a descendent of the Ancestors."

He dragged her up off the floor and pulled her back into the banquet hall just as the room filled with smoke.

* * *

Ronon had been trying to weaken the bars on his cell since the guards had taken Elizabeth again. He'd tried everything he knew and it finally looked like he was getting there. The bars where starting to wobble. The room was free from guards so there was no chance of him being stopped. The only guards where stood at the top of the stairs, Ronon knew that he could take them if he could escape. He just needed to get out of that damn cell first. 

He managed, eventually, to snap one of the bars. He stood up and tried to kick it though. He succeeded. One bar down. Teyla was looking over at him. She knew he was worried about what was happening to Elizabeth. She was too. Elizabeth was still the closest friend she had and she had selflessly given her life to protect hers.

"Ronon"

Ronon turned and faced her.

"What?"

Teyla stared at him sadly.

"I know you are worried, but...but you cannot take on all the guards yourself."

Ronon sighed and lent against the bars facing her.

"I can't leave her alone up there. I can't let her go through it."

Teyla nodded slowly

"I do understand. I do honestly."

She looked down at where John was laying just a few cells over from her and then to the other personal who were in the cells connected to them at the back, before looking back at Rodney and Ronon.

Elizabeth had given her life not just for Teyla, but for all of those which were currently here.

Teyla couldn't help but feel proud of her friend. She'd always known Elizabeth was strong but she hadn't know just how strong she really was.

The door to the cells opened and Teyla held her breath, wondering how bad Elizabeth would look. She already looked like she'd been run though the mill a few times since being here.

She heard at least six sets of feet come down the stairs that was unusual; it would only take two guards at most to drag Elizabeth down the stairs. Teyla tensed as she heard them come closer and closer. She held her breath. What was going through her head was scaring her half to death. Ronon had already picked up the bar he'd kicked through, obviously ready to use it if he needed to.

They owners of the footsteps eventually came into view. They were carrying P-90's and wearing Atlantis military gear. Teyla didn't realise she'd been holding her breath but when she saw Lorne step into the room she breathed a long sigh of utter relief.

"Major Lorne"

Lorne rushed over to her cell and smiled

"Teyla, thank God we've found you."

His eyes then slid over to where John was lying. He gestured for one of the other Marines and they threw him over a set of keys, which they had obviously taken off one of the guards.

Lorne quickly unlocked the cell John was laying in before throwing the keys back to one of the Marines with the order to unlock the other cells.

He rushed to John's side and checked his pulse. He smiled when he felt it, faint but there.

He and another Marine lifted John to his feet just as St Bates entered the room.

"Sir we've got to get moving"

Lorne nodded and then looked around doing a double take.

"Where's Dr Weir?"

Ronon was already bouncing up the stairs being followed by St Bates who grabbed his arm.

"Do you know where she is?"

Ronon stopped and shook his head

"Teyla does"

Bates nodded as Teyla joined them at the top of the stairs. She rushed along the corridors looking desperately for the room she had been taken into. She stopped and rushed back to a door she had passed a few seconds before.

"Here, this is where she was taken. This is where she will be"

Bates nodded and took out some smoke canisters before turning back to Ronon and Teyla

"You two should head back to the Jumper. We'll take it from here"

Ronon shook his head

"I'm not leaving here without her."

Bates and Lorne nodded before opening the door quickly and throwing in the smoke canisters.

* * *

Elizabeth coughed as the smoke choked her lungs and blocked her vision. She broke away from Litman, knowing he wouldn't be able to find her again in all this smoke. She stumbled to the floor in all the confusion. She could hear people coming into the room. She could hear voices, they sounded familiar. She kept her face close to the floor, trying to stay under the smoke as she'd been taught when she felt someone grabbing her by the waist. She tried to get away but the grip tightened 

"Elizabeth"

She knew the voice. She lifted her head a little.

"Ronon?"

She was dragged to her feet, her head was immediately buried in his chest, and that told her straight way that it was Ronon. The feel of him, the smell of him. It was all Ronon. She pulled herself tighter into his chest as he pulled her out of the room.

The smoke hurt her eyes and reminded her of the poker games her dad used to have when she was little. She smiled at the memory as she left the room and looked up at Ronon who grabbed her hand started to pull her out of the building following Bates and Lornes' lead. The team ran out to the Jumper, which was obviously cloaked. In the back Carson was there already, he was hovering over John. Checking his pulse, his pupils and other various things. Ronon walked Elizabeth to a chair, sat her down as Lorne ran to the front of the Jumper, and started to fly it. The rest of the team ran into another Jumper, which was being piloted, by one of the Marines from the Daedalus. They hit the sky and Elizabeth started thinking that they had got away easily. Something didn't feel right, part of her knew that it was possible that they had got rid of all opposition when they were storming the building but she knew there should have been some type of opposition when they tried to leave. As if on cue something shook the small Jumper and Lorne rose the ship up higher. Ronon grabbed hold of Elizabeth has she was nearly thrown forward by the blast. Ronon grabbed hold of the back of Lornes chair

"Get some control of this thing."

Lorne nodded

"I know, I'm trying. The bastards must be shooting blind cos we're cloaked"

Ronon nodded

"Just get us either to the Stargate or into Space. We can't hang around here"

Lorne nodded. He knew Ronon was giving him orders but he also knew how much he wanted to get off this planet. It was not surprising he was acting a little in control.

As the two Jumpers neared the Stargate Lorne cursed

"Damn it, Lt Richards hold up. I repeat do not activate the Stargate"

Ronon walked away from Elizabeth and to Lornes side. He looked out of the window and saw that the Molinas had the 'Gate surrounded. They knew if they activated the 'Gate they would either be shot out of the sky or the Molinas would try and storm Atlantis.

Ronon cursed and gripped the back of Lorne's chair hard.

"Fly up into space."

Lorne nodded, knowing it was the only option.

"Lt Richards we're going to go up."

"_Sorry Sir, can you repeat that"_

"Lt we are going up into space. We can't use the Stargate. I want to see if we can contact the Daedalus up there."

"_Yes sir"_

The two Jumpers took off into space. Luckily, the Molinas didn't have space travel capabilities so they didn't have to worry about being ambushed up there.

Lorne fiddled with one of the controls inside the Jumper activating the long-range radio.

"Colonel Caldwell this is Jumper one, please respond"

There was no response, just the crackle of the radio. Lorne tried again, this time he got a response

"_Major Lorne, where the hell are you?"_

"I'm sorry sir; we've been cut off from the Stargate by the Molinas. We need a ride back to Atlantis."

Lorne was certain he could hear Caldwell sighing on the other end of the radio before responding

"_We'll set co-ordinates for your position and be there as soon as possible."_

"Thank you sir"

**

* * *

Daedalus**

It took a while, Ronon lost track of actually how long it took, but eventually the Daedalus arrived and the two Jumpers where beam aboard. They were all immediately taken to the infirmary with Carson giving orders to the other medical staff. A few resented being told what to do on their own ship by an outsider but the rest where happy to follow Carson's lead, after all he was more qualified than any of them.

John was taken and worked on for a long time until Carson came to where Elizabeth, Ronon, Rodney and Teyla were waiting and told them that John was in a coma. Elizabeth became very quiet, placing her head on Ronon's shoulder. Ronon slipped his arm around her shoulders and let her rest on him.

Soon after two nurses came over to Elizabeth and Teyla, they led them over to an examination area and cleaned their wounds. Teyla's wounds weren't as bad as Elizabeth but they still caused her a great amount of pain. Rodney waited around for Teyla to get cleaned up before walking her back to some temporary quarters they had set aside for the team so they could get some rest.

Ronon also waited for Elizabeth. He could see that she had become withdrawn since hearing John was in a coma. He knew she blamed herself for John taking the beating. They'd tortured him because he refused to let anything happen to Elizabeth. If Ronon was honest with himself, he knew John would have done it for anyone but part of him couldn't help but wonder if John still had feelings for Elizabeth. He wouldn't blame him.

When the nurse was finished, Ronon took Elizabeth's arm and led her back to her temporary quarters. She didn't say anything to him as they walked there slowly. He opened the door and let her walk in. Elizabeth had already, like Teyla, changed out of the dress that she had been forced to wear and borrowed some Daedalus uniform. She didn't feel like sleeping in the uniform so decided to slip off her top and trousers before sliding into the bed.

She looked over at Ronon who was still stood by the doorway, looking at her.

"Ronon you need to rest. Come here"

Ronon obeyed her request and walked over to her. He slipped off his own shirt and slid in next to Elizabeth. He wrapped his arms around her lightly, avoiding her broken ribs and the cuts on her face.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth nodded and snuggled closer to him.

Ronon wasn't typically a man who could be described as soft but there was something about Elizabeth which had changed him. Granted Teyla had changed him as well but Elizabeth had changed him more, without even trying. He knew she didn't need his protection, she was very capable of looking after herself but he wanted to protect her. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and keep her away from any harm.

Ronon placed a kiss to the top of her head and close his eyes.

* * *

Ronon woke up a few hours later by a radio announcement informing all crew that they would soon be docking on Atlantis. 

Ronon slipped out of the bed and stretched before putting his shirt back on. He then sat on the edge of the bed and placed a piece of Elizabeth's hair at the back of her ear.

"Elizabeth. We're back. We're on Atlantis."

Elizabeth stirred and flickered her eyes open. She closed her eyes again and sighed

"Tell them to leave me here"

Ronon smiled and wrapped the covers around her before picking her up and dragging her close to him. This woke Elizabeth up.

"Fine. I'm awoke"

Ronon smiled and placed her back down on the bed. Before when Elizabeth wouldn't wake he, in a act that could either be seen as funny or as annoying, had picked her up and took her to the shoulder and woke her up with cold water splashing onto her skin. Elizabeth had threatened him after that, saying if he did it again he would find himself back in his own room, all alone.

Ronon never really believed the threat but it gave him something to fear, just in case.

He sat on the bed and watched her as she got dressed and sorted her hair. She still seemed slightly withdrawn but better than she was before. Maybe all she needed was some rest and a chance to think through things.

* * *

Teyla sighed and uncurled herself from around Rodney as she heard the radio announcement that Atlantis was docking. She had been curled up on Rodney has he, unconsciously, ran his fingers through her hair as he talked about something scientific which she would never understand. 

She had been very comfortable on Rodney's chest but now she was going to have to go back on Atlantis and face all the questions about what happened before she could get that comfortable again, at which point Rodney would be called away by someone to help with something in the lab. Teyla was thinking of making it clear to all the scientists, especially the few female scientists who seemed to have a crush on Rodney that he was spoken for and she could kick their asses if they disrupted their time together, which was limited at the best of times.

Teyla got off the bed and stretched her tired muscles as Rodney slipped from the bed himself and slipped on his jacket.

**

* * *

Atlantis **

As soon as John was settled in the infirmary, Elizabeth was at his side. One of her hands covering his as she sat silently praying. Ronon was sat with her, reluctant to leave her alone. A few hours later Carson ordered Elizabeth to get some sleep, she had been reluctant but Ronon had dragged her off to her room. Elizabeth didn't fight against him, she was just too tired. Ronon got her into bed and then got in himself. He dropped his head on the pillow behind him and wrapped one arm around Elizabeth who was now curled up at his side. He pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head. She'd been through a lot the last few days and he wouldn't blame her if she just decided to sleep for the next week. He knew he could certainly do with a weeks sleep.

"Ronon?"

Ronon nodded and kissed her head again.

"Yeah"

Elizabeth sat up slightly and looked at him. She drew her finger down his cheek. He grabbed her finger and held her hand. Elizabeth lifted his hand and kissed it. Her voice was muffled when she spoke but he understood what she said. It stopped his heart beating for a moment when he heard her saying it, she'd never said it to him before and a part of him wondered if she actually meant it. She was going through some things. She'd been easily mixed up lately.

Ronon closed his eyes and cleared his throat.

"Do you mean it?"

Elizabeth looked him square in the eyes, he'd always thought her eyes were her best feature, even though she had other 'attributes' which he took pleasure in enjoying, they were so honest. They gave away a lot about her and when he looked in them, he could see that she was telling the truth. Ronon closed the distance between them and kissed her lips, his own lips slid from hers and down her neck. He grazed her neck with his teeth before sliding back up to her lips and kissing her with passion. He moved away from her lips and kissed her three more times, once on the lips, once on the cheek and once on the forehead before sliding back down onto the bed and pulling her down with him.

* * *

One month later

Elizabeth grabbed the pillow behind her as she reached her own orgasm just a few moments after Ronon reached his. Elizabeth turned her head and bit her wrist to try to muffle the sound but her whimpers could still be heard, causing Ronon to smile. He loved making her feel like this, he loved how she made him feel, so it was really a mutual relationship. Ronon slowly and gently let himself fall to her side, his arm around her waist. Some of her ribs were still broken and he didn't want to cause her more pain then she was already in. He ran his finger up and down her side and slid down her body in order to place kisses on her toned stomach. Elizabeth smiled at the feeling of his lips. He'd just returned to Atlantis from a week long mission with Teyla and Lorne's team. When he'd come to her room after being checked over at the infirmary he'd made it obvious how much he'd missed her. Twice.

_With Ronon on a mission and Elizabeth on Atlantis, she'd been spending a lot of her, limited, free time in the infirmary just watching John. Waiting for him to wake up. Once his eyes had flickered open but that had amounted to nothing. Carson said it was sometimes common for that to happen. That had left Elizabeth a little upset but she'd started feeling better about two hours later when Ronon arrived back on Atlantis. She'd sent him and the team off to the infirmary to get checked out and then returned back to her quarters to do some work. _

_Elizabeth sat looking at a recent report from Bates. Her attention though was not on the report. Elizabeth sighed and stretched her legs from the uncomfortable position they were in. _

_She gathered up the papers, which were spread over her bed and moved them to one side before picking up her laptop and closing the programme she was running. She opened up a game of solitaire and started to play, cursing the cards she got but resisting the urge to hit the deal button. **  
**She sat playing for a few moments and was about to put on some music when there was a knock on the door. Sighing she closed her laptop and placed it on her desk as she walked to the door and opened it. She saw Ronon on the other side, smirking, his arms pressed either side of the door as he lent in. _

_Elizabeth smiled and lent against the doorframe. _

"_Hey"_

_Ronon continued to smirk and he leant in slightly further_

"_Hey. Are you going to let me in?"_

_Elizabeth bit the inside of her mouth and pretended to think. She raised her eyebrows and looked up at the ceiling._

"_Mmm, I don't know."_

_Elizabeth looked back and him and smiled_

"_Give me one good reason"_

_Ronon dropped his arms, put his hands on her waist, and pushed her backwards into the room. He kissed her deeply as her arms made their way around his neck to pull him down and make the kiss hard. Ronon pulled away and smirked_

"_That a good enough reason?"_

_Elizabeth nodded and closed the distance between them. Ronon walked her backwards towards the bed, pushed her down and covered her body with his, only remembering some of her ribs bones when she gasped slightly in pain. Ronon quickly slid away from her and laid next to her on the bed. _

"_I forgot. I'm sorry"_

_Elizabeth took a moment before laying on him best she could. _

"_It's okay. Come here"_

_Ronon lifted his head a bit, as Elizabeth lowered her head. Their lips met again and Ronon rolled Elizabeth gently onto her back. _

Elizabeth rolled onto her side and faced Ronon. She kissed him and slid into his side; Ronon wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer and whispering in her ear.

"Did you miss me?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"Well you know it's been so busy here that I've barely had time to notice you were gone"

Ronon glared at her, slightly worried that she was actually telling the truth.

"You better be joking"

Elizabeth smiled at him and nodded.

"Of course I am"

Ronon smiled and pulled her on top of him. His hands positioned themselves at the side of her face and smoothed down her hair. He was about to kiss her when Elizabeth radio crackled followed by a voice.

"_Dr Weir?"_

Elizabeth sighed, rolled off Ronon and picked up the radio.

"Yes?"

"_I'm sorry to disturb you Dr Weir but we've just had an off world activation"_

Elizabeth nodded to herself, a habit she'd picked up, before responding

"Who was it?"

There was a pause, as if the technician was looking at the IDC

"_It was Earth ma'am"_

Elizabeth thought she'd heard him wrong

"Say again"

"_It was a radio transmission and ZPM from Earth"_

Elizabeth rubbed her forehead

"I'll be there in a moment"

Elizabeth put down the radio and turned to Ronon who was now sitting close behind her.

"Earth?"

Elizabeth nodded and got out of bed. She picked up her clothes and started to put them back on. Ronon sighed, slightly confused that Earth would waste a ZPM contacting Atlantis when they could have simply sent a message with the Daedalus.

"Why would they use the Stargate to contact you? I mean after all they've got the Daedalus now, wouldn't it have been easier to contact you that way?"

Elizabeth sighed and sat on the bed facing him.

"I don't know. Hopefully the radio transmission will explain it."

Elizabeth put on her shoes as Ronon shifted in the bed.

"Want me to come with you?"

Elizabeth shook her head and kissed him. She pulled back and smiled

"Get some rest. I'll let you know what's happening when you wake up"

Elizabeth stood up and left the room. She walked through the corridors until she reached the control room where Chuck was waiting for her. When he saw her walk into the control room Chuck stood up and walked over to her

"Dr Weir, sorry to wake you ma'am"

Elizabeth smiled

"It's okay Sergeant. I wasn't asleep yet anyway"

Chuck smiled, wondering if Ronon was the reason she wasn't sleeping when he called but he didn't say anything. He just walked with her over to his station where he sat down.

"The message is compressed and encrypted."

Elizabeth nodded

"Call Dr McKay and Colonel Sheppard, tell them..."

Elizabeth stopped and Chuck tensed. Elizabeth looked away for a moment and closed her eyes tight before looking back at Chuck

"Call Dr McKay, tell him we've been contacted by Earth and we need him to uncompress and decode the message. I'll be in my office"

Chuck nodded slowly and watched her disappear into her office, her head and shoulders slumped, before contacting Rodney.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Not mine

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Rodney to bounce up to Elizabeth office with the radio transmissions. He handed Elizabeth a data stick, which contained the messages.

"The ones on here are all for you. Four in total. One from Landry, One from General O'Neill, one from Dr Jackson and...one from...Simon"

Elizabeth nodded slowly when she heard that last name.

"Thank you."

Rodney nodded and left her alone. Elizabeth plugged in the data device into her laptop and selected General Landry's transmission first

"_Dr Weir. I hope you and your team are well. I tried to convince Jack to leave you alone but he decided to send a message anyway. If you haven't heard it yet you're in for a treat._

_So anyway, on to what I have to tell you. I'm going to guess you haven't heard Dr Jackson's message yet. The Stargate project, as been...it's been shut down as a gesture of goodwill. I don't know how long for but it could be indefinitely._

_I'm sorry to tell you this and Dr Jackson goes into more detail but I just wanted to let you know that we all think you're doing a great job out there. Elizabeth you and your team have got something to decide. The governments who are involved have requested that you and your team have to return to Earth. Elizabeth I'm not going to order you back but if you don't you and your team, especially the Military personal could face some serious problems when you come back, if you ever come back. I want you and your team to decide. You have 72 hours from when we activated the Stargate to decide. All the best Dr Weir, to you and your team."_

Elizabeth sat reeling from what she had just heard. Quickly she selected Daniel's message which outline what had happened,

"_Relations broke down during a meeting. The American Military took a pretty good beating and the other governments decided that the Stargate programme should be shut down until we can sort it out but my guess is that unless one of them get the Stargate, the programme will be shut down forever. We're currently negotiating with the British government, if we can win them over we might stand a shot, but Elizabeth I won't lie to you, it's not going well. I could use your help."_

Elizabeth stopped Daniel's message. He sounded so desperate for her help. She knew he didn't want to lose the Stargate programme, it was his life's work. It was his whole life. Elizabeth played the rest of the message before selecting Jack's.

"_Hey Doc, how are you? Hope Sheppard's not giving you a hard time, although I did warn you. I've been thinking a lot lately. When I heard that the programme was going to be shut down, I thought about you and the team. Elizabeth, the work you're doing out there is good. It's more than good and I don't think it's right that a bunch of stiffs in an office, people who have never once stepped foot through the damn Stargate think they can decide what's right. We're trying to get the Brits on side and one of their diplomats, a friend of yours Carrie Malone, is helping us. I think she just has a thing for Daniel and wants to look good in front of him. So anyway where was I...oh yeah the stiffs in the office, so anyway they are pulling the strings Elizabeth they are requesting you come back, I'm guessing you are reluctant to do that. Don't come back if you don't want to, I'll protect you and your people as best I can. I hold a lot of power in these parts now. Good luck Doc"_

Elizabeth smiled at Jack's support. He really believed in the Stargate project and the Atlantis expedition. Her eyes than scanned across the computer screen and saw Simon's name. She froze. She didn't know whether she wanted to hear it. After what happened the last time she was on Earth she was reluctant but she decided that he did deserve her time. Slowly she selected the message and listened.

"_Elizabeth, it's Simon. Obviously. Elizabeth, what can I say? I don't know exactly what's going on but I do know that you have a choice to come back home and I hope to God you take it. I miss you Elizabeth, I know I made a mistake but I miss you so much. I do I was an absolute idiot to do what I did but I still love you and ..."_

"Hey what's that?"

Elizabeth quickly switched off the message as she heard Ronon's voice. She couldn't let him hear the message. He already had issues about John, if he knew about Simon things could get worse.

"Nothing. It was just...We've received a message from Earth. We've been told that the project...the Stargate project on Earth has been...suspended."

Ronon sat opposite her

"Suspended? Do you mean they're...?"

Elizabeth nodded

"Our governments are closing the Stargate project down and the expedition team are being ordered back to Earth."

Ronon closed his eyes and looked at her.

"Are you going?"

Elizabeth shrugged slightly and shook her head

"I don't know. I'm still trying to work though this myself."

Elizabeth was snippier than usual. She didn't mean too but it just slipped out.

"I'm sorry I snapped. From what I've been told, if we don't return to Earth we could face some...problems if they ever get in contact with us again. I received three messages from high level people on Earth, they all say...don't come back"

Ronon looked slightly confused

"Are you and your people that bad?"

Elizabeth shook her head, understanding what it must have sounded like

"I don't mean it like that, what I mean is that they want the Atlantis expedition to continue. Jack O'Neill, he helped me get the government to allow the Atlantis expedition. Without him, we wouldn't be here, he said that he will try to protect us if we don't come back but I don't know how much he can do without endangering his own life, his career"

Ronon nodded and smiled

"I wouldn't mind meeting that guy, O'Neill, after all, he's the only reason you're here."

Elizabeth smiled back, and rubbed the back of her neck before changing the subject back to the matter at hand.

"As I was saying, I have just under 72 hours to decide. I'm going to wait until as long as I can until I tell the city. I don't know who would decide to leave but I can't really afford to lose any of the team, even Kavanagh as his uses"

Ronon nodded slowly, than thought.

"What about you? Are you going, Elizabeth? I need to know"

Elizabeth sighed again. She didn't know what to do, she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't go back but she was also afraid of what would happen if she did

"I don't know Ronon. Like I said, I'm trying to work through it. I've got one more message to listen to though"

Ronon understood her unsaid meaning and stood up

"I'll leave you too it"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Go get some rest, I doubt you've slept"

Ronon nodded and left her office. Elizabeth watched him go before turning the message back on

_..."But I still love you and I want you to come home to me. We all miss you. I've tried explaining to your Dad but he keeps forgetting your not here and keeps asking where you are. He misses you; he thinks you're not going to visit because he's not your real Dad. I've tried explaining that you love him and it doesn't matter but he just keeps wondering why his little girl won't come and see him. Come home Elizabeth, please."_

Elizabeth had tears in her eyes by the time the message ended. Elizabeth opened her desk draw, took out a hand held recorder, and turned it on.

"Dad... Daddy. I'm know I'm not there with you but..."

Elizabeth put down the recorder and wiped her eyes clear of tears. Her Dad deserved more than that. But she didn't want to go back to Earth, she didn't want to leave Atlantis or Ronon. Elizabeth closed her eyes for a moment but before she could realise it was happening, she was already falling asleep.

* * *

Elizabeth shut her eyes tight against the light as someone gently shook her shoulder

"Dr Weir"

Elizabeth knew the voice

"Teyla?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and saw the young woman standing next to her. Elizabeth rubbed her eyes

"I must have fallen asleep"

Teyla lent against Elizabeth's desk and sighed

"I am not surprised. From what Rodney and Carson have told me, you have not been sleeping well the last week. Would you like to talk about it?"

Elizabeth shrugged

"There is nothing really to talk about. I just haven't been sleeping that's all"

Teyla nodded slightly. She and Elizabeth had been working on their friendship and it seemed to be as solid as it was before the whole situation with Ronon.

Teyla was certain she knew why Elizabeth wasn't sleeping but was reluctant to suggest it herself, so instead she changed the subject

"I have just talked to Rodney. He told me about the transmission. Is it important?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and looked down.

"It is, in fact I need to make an announcement"

Elizabeth stood up and walked out of her office, followed by Teyla, to where Chuck was still sat

"Can you put me city wide Sergeant?"

Chuck nodded and after a moment he turned to Elizabeth and nodded

"You're on"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and cleared her throat before beginning.

"This is Dr Weir. I'm sure some of you already know that several hours ago we were contacted by Earth. I won't lie to you about what was in the message. I've been informed that due to various reasons the Stargate project on Earth is to be shut down. For this reason, we are all being recalled to Earth...We do have an option though; we could stay here. I won't make it an order either way, if you go there is no chance you could come back, if you stay you'll be cut off from Earth indefinitely and if they ever did come to get us we could face legal action, especially the Military personal. We have only 65 hours to decide, for those of you who want to return to Earth make sure you are in the 'Gate room about least 15 minutes before the departure time. I know this is a hard decision but I trust you all know what is right for yourself. Good luck, whatever you decide."

Elizabeth nodded at Chuck who turned off the citywide radio and turned back to her.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes"

Chuck stood up and smiled

"Are you staying?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"I'm not sure"

With that Elizabeth walked back into her office and played the last bit of Simon's message again

"_I've tried explaining to your Dad but he keeps forgetting your not here and keeps asking where you are. He misses you, he thinks you're not going to visit because he's not your real Dad. I've tried explaining that you love him and it doesn't matter but he just keeps wondering why his little girl won't come and see him."_

She knew if she returned home it only would be because of her Dad, she wouldn't be going back to Simon. She would make sure of that. But then returning home would also mean leaving Ronon and she wasn't sure she wanted to do that either. She knew he wouldn't come to Earth with her, he would hate it.

Elizabeth sighed and started to go over some more reports, making sure they were in order in case anyone did decide to return home, she knew they'd need reports and documents to hand over to the SGC.

As she worked through them Carson came up to her office, slightly out of breath as if he'd run all the way from the infirmary to her office.

"Dr Weir?"

Elizabeth turned to him and smiled

"Carson, I trust you heard the announcement?"

Carson nodded

"Yes I did, but Elizabeth that's not why I'm here."

Elizabeth looked at him slightly confused, her head tilted to one side.

"What's wrong Carson?"

"John's awoke"

* * *

Elizabeth was out of her office and walking down to the infirmary before Carson knew what she was doing. She rushed into the infirmary and saw John laying down on the bed where he'd been laying for the past month. She froze when he saw him, she could tell he was awake, she could see his lips moving as he talked to the nurse. Carson came up behind Elizabeth and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth just kept staring at John. She was taking in everything about him. She wasn't even sure if he wanted to see her, after all she was the reason he was like this.

"Elizabeth he asked to see you. Don't worry"

Elizabeth turned to Carson and smiled before taking a deep breath and walking over to John. Her heels clicked on the floor causing John to turn round. The corners of his lips bent up into a smile. Elizabeth felt much more relaxed when she saw his smile

"You finally decided to wake up then?"

John smiled wider at her joke.

"Yeah, I thought it was time to get off my ass and get back to work"

Elizabeth put her hand on his and grasped it.

"When did you wake up?"

John shrugged

"A few hours ago, Carson wanted to run some checks before he let anyone see me. By the way, I heard the announcement. Are you serious?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"I have the messages in my office. One from Landry, One from General O'Neill and one from Daniel Jackson all explaining what's going on."

John nodded and shifted slightly

"I'll tell you right now, I'm not looking to leave Atlantis, nothing to go back to"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled

"I'm reluctant to leave myself but I'm not going to tell anyone that. I don't want them to stay out of loyalty. They should only stay if they want to"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and thought for a second.

"I'm sorry"

John looked at her with utter confusion.

"Sorry for what?"

Elizabeth looked at him in disbelief. How could he not know

"Sorry for being the reason you were tortured. Sorry for being the reason you've been in a coma for the last month"

John shook his head, closing his own eyes, hating the fact that she blamed herself.

"You can't blame yourself. I...I wasn't about to let you get killed. I did what I had to do"

Elizabeth rubbed a hand across her forehead and sighed

"Still, you took a hell of a chance for me. For that I need to thank you"

Elizabeth bent down and kissed John on the forehead tenderly, avoiding his wounds.

"Thank you John"

John lifted his hand and cupped Elizabeth's cheek. He drew a finger down her cheek and smiled

"No problem"

Elizabeth was still close to John's lips, which turned out to be very uncomfortable, especially when Ronon, Teyla and Rodney walked into the room.

When Rodney saw them, he quickly cleared his throat to try and warn Elizabeth before Ronon saw them but he wasn't quick enough and Ronon saw. Ronon, tried to keep a clear head and not get jealous, what helped was Elizabeth moving away from John and smiling at Ronon in her usual loving way.

Ronon came and stood next to Elizabeth; he placed his hand on her back and looked at John.

"Good to see you awoke Sheppard"

John wondered whether that was true or not, he knew Ronon would never want him dead but he also knew that Ronon was still a tiny bit insecure and was still wondering whether Elizabeth would go back to John.

The hand, which was one placed on Elizabeth's back seemed to be saying, 'She's mine, back off', and John knew that. So he just smiled and nodded at the taller and stronger man.

"Thanks Ronon, It's good to be back in the loop."

Ronon nodded back at him, his hand still on Elizabeth's back in a protective manner. Teyla and Ronon walked over to one side, where Teyla bent down and kissed John gently on the cheek. John smiled at her

"I should go into comas more often. I haven't got so much love in...ages"

Teyla chuckled and stood up

"Well don't get used to it. It won't be happening again"

John pouted playfully

"Mean"

John then looked up at Rodney and smiled

"Glad to see you haven't blown up the city while I saw asleep."

Rodney was about to protest when he thought his excellence was being attacked but instead he brushed it off knowing John was joking.

"Well, unless you're around I've got no one else to blame it on."

John tilted his head slightly and smiled at Rodney, silently giving him a point to put on his scorecard.

Elizabeth was happy to see the team where getting on so well, even after all the upset they'd had over the last six months.

The team stayed with John a little while longer until Carson ordered them to leave.

Rodney pulled Elizabeth to one side once they were out of the infirmary and turned to her

"Recalled?"

Elizabeth nodded and lent against the wall, sighing.

"I know, I can't believe it myself. What are you doing?"

Rodney sighed and shrugged

"Teyla's not said anything yet, but I can see she doesn't want me to go and that's...difficult"

Elizabeth looked at him shocked as she took a guess at what he meant by that.

"Do you want to go back to Earth?"

Rodney shrugged and shook his head

"I don't know. I never wanted to make a life here, but...I didn't have much as a personal life on Earth."

Elizabeth rubbed her tired eyes and sighed

"I feel the same way. I don't know whether to go back to Earth or not. Part of me wants too but another part can't stand to leave."

"Ronon?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Yeah that's one of the reasons. My main reason is that I can't stand to leave this city, all the hard work we've put in, everything we have left to discover."

Rodney nodded, knowing what she meant and understanding. He felt a similar way; Atlantis held so many secrets and all the work he'd done before coming to Atlantis couldn't equal this.

Rodney placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and sighed.

"We've both got a big decision. Professional and personal."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, she knew it would be difficult for a lot of people on Atlantis, some had developed relationships with the Athosians and some had developed relationships with some people off world. People had rooted themselves here. Elizabeth pushed herself off the wall and sighed

"I know"

Elizabeth placed her hand on Rodney's shoulder as she walked past him. Rodney walked off in an opposite direction towards his lab. When he entered his lab he saw Teyla sitting there waiting for him, in the unusually quiet lab. Rodney walked forward and sat next to her.

"Will you leave for Earth? Tell me honestly"

Rodney put down the pen he'd just picked up and sighed. He looked at Teyla, her face was raw and honest, she wanted a definite answer.

"I'm not sure Teyla, it's a big decision. I have family on Earth, people I care about but Atlantis is my home now..." He paused in thought for a second and looked at Teyla. "...you're my home"

Teyla stood up and walked the distance between them, kissing him.

* * *

Elizabeth couldn't think as she sat in her office. She couldn't make a decision. She had under 48 hours left to decide. Sighing Elizabeth closed her laptop and walked around Atlantis for a while. She ended up outside the gym where Ronon, Lorne, Bates and a few more Marines were training. Elizabeth guessed that the people currently in the gym, since they were not packing, were staying on Atlantis.

Elizabeth leant against the doorframe and watched them for a few moments. Ronon was kicking their asses in a serious way and Elizabeth smiled at it. She'd been with Ronon for about three months now but if felt like longer, she knew they'd been close before that and maybe that's why it felt like longer but she couldn't imagine what it would be like without him. When Ronon saw her, he smirked and flipped Lorne over one shoulder, knocking him into Bates. A couple of the Marines sniggered as Lorne and Bates stood up and immediately rubbed their bruises.

"Perhaps she could teach you two a few things"

Ronon motioned over to Elizabeth who was still stood over by the doorway. She gave Lorne and Bates a smirk and a small wave. Ronon picked up two sparring sticks and threw them over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed, took off her jacket and dropped it near the window. She stepped onto the mats and faced Ronon who already had two sparring sticks in his own hands. The two circled each other, spinning the the sticks in their hands. Lorne, Bates and the other Marines stood at the side of the room and watched the two lovers as they attacked each other. Lorne had to admit, Elizabeth was damn good. He could see she'd been taught well and guessed that it must have been Ronon who taught her because they both had the same style but with their own personal edge.

The Marines continued to watch as Ronon and Elizabeth got wrapped up in what they were doing. Elizabeth was not as good as Ronon, she knew that but she knew that she was getting there, after all, quite amazingly she'd kicked Teyla's ass a few weeks earlier which Rodney had found quite unbelievable.

Ronon was impressed by some of Elizabeth's moves, moves he recognised as his own but she did it in her own way. He smacked her on her thigh with a sparring stick and he twisted around her body to her back. Elizabeth spun round and lifted her sticks above her head as she saw him about to hit her from above. His stick connected with hers and Elizabeth pushed them away from her. Ronon stepped back from her and stared her down as she twisted one of the sticks in her hand. Ronon lunged at her, trying to hit her hip. Elizabeth deflected one of the sticks down and pushed away Ronon's sticks. Elizabeth aimed for Ronon's stomach causing him to spin around the stick and aim for Elizabeth's head as he faced her again. Elizabeth ducked down and spun herself away from him with grace. The two faced each other, their sticks connected as they walked in a circle, changing their positions in the room. Ronon moved away from her and brought his stick down slightly. Elizabeth thought he was about to stop and let her guard down, big mistake. When Ronon saw that her guard was down he slipped one of the sticks down and slid it under her feet. Elizabeth lost her footing and could feel herself going down, quickly she grabbed Ronon's hand which was close to her and pulled him down with her. He landed on her with a thump, slightly concerned that she hadn't whimpered due to the pain in her ribs. He put his hands either side of her and pushed himself off her. He stood up and grabbed her hand as he did, he pulled her to her feet and pulled her into his side, keeping hold of her hand and placing one of his hands on her hip.

"Are you okay, that must have hurt"

Elizabeth shook her head

"I've just had my pain medication. I can't feel a thing"

Lorne smirked as he saw Ronon's hand stay on Elizabeth's hip. He knew well that there was something was going on between Ronon and Elizabeth so this not really a surprise. Bates cleared his throat causing Elizabeth to jump back slightly from Ronon's grip and dropped his hand. Bates was another one who knew everything, he was just happy that Elizabeth was no longer favouring the military commander, that gave him a shot to get in some of his own ideas which Elizabeth hadn't been receptive to.

"Ma'am, I believe you have a security meeting with myself and my team in about twenty minutes"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and smiled at him

"Of course. I'll meet you up there"

Bates nodded and left the room, dragging Lorne and the other Marines with him. Elizabeth turned back to Ronon and smiled

"I'm okay. I promise"

Elizabeth moved over to the window to pick up her jacket, she was about to head out of the gym to go for a shower when she stopped.

"My Dad doesn't remember me."

Ronon stopped, not knowing what she was talking about.

"What do you mean?"

Elizabeth turned round and faced him, she wasn't sure whether it was the medication which was making her so open or whether she just needed to talk to him about it.

"One of the messages I received was from a man called Simon. He was my...he was a close friend of mine from Earth. He told me that my Dad doesn't thinks that I don't love him because I haven't been to see him."

Elizabeth walked over to the bench near the window and sat down.

"You see he's not my real father. My Dad died when my Mum was pregnant with me. When I was four she remarried and I always thought of him as my real father. You see he's getting old, his memory's not what it used to be and he thinks the reason I haven't been to see him is because he isn't my real father."

Ronon sat down next to her.

"You want to go to Earth don't you. Too see him"

Elizabeth nodded slowly; a few tears fell down her cheek

"He's my Dad, I can't let him think that I don't love him"

Ronon bit the inside of his lip. He knew where this was going, he knew she was about to tell him that she had decided to go back to Earth. He didn't want to hear it.

Ronon stood up and walked to the door.

"Whatever you decide, you have my support"

Elizabeth looked over at him and was about to say something when Ronon left the room.

24 hours later

Elizabeth turned off the camcorder, which sat in front of her. The last time she'd done this Aiden Ford had been there. Elizabeth rubbed her forehead and sighed as she uploaded the data she'd just recorded to her laptop and saved it with the others she'd just made. She was going to get Rodney to compress them later, after she knew what she was going to do. She hadn't really spoken to Ronon since the time in the gym, he seemed to be avoiding her and she didn't like that. She just wanted to speak to him. Slowly Elizabeth left the room she was in and walked through the corridors until she reached his quarters. She knocked on the door before entering her security code. Ronon was laying on his bed, looking up at the ceiling. When she walked into the room he looked at her and smiled. He gestured for her to go to him. When she did he took her hand and guided her next to him. Elizabeth laid down next to him, she placed her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. Ronon wrapped one of his arms around her and played with the hair which laid on her neck and extended down her back. Elizabeth snuggled her head into his chest. Ronon let his hand leave her hair and tickle it's way down her back. When his hand reached the hem of her top his fingers slid underneath and touched the soft skin. Ronon was reluctant to talk about Elizabeth going back to Earth, he knew she wanted to see her father but he also knew that if she went to Earth she would end up regretting it. He'd been thinking about the possibility of going back to Earth with her but he knew it was going to be one heck of a move, especially if things didn't work out between them. He'd been stuck there with no way of returning back to his galaxy, his home. He didn't want to lose her but they'd only been together for about three months and he was just wondering if three months was too short a time. Maybe that was a reason people said that John should be with Elizabeth. Maybe because he could follow her easily wherever she went.

Elizabeth placed a kiss to Ronon's chest and sighed.

"I'm not going to Earth. It's...there's things there which I don't want to go back to. Things I can't go back too. There's this guy...we were in a relationship. I left Earth without even telling him where I was going. I left him a message. I didn't tell him in person because I know he would have done all in his power to stop me from going"

Ronon shrugged

"Smart man."

Elizabeth shook her head, took her head of his chest and looked up at him.

"He's possessive. He sent me a message from Earth, he told me he loved me and wanted me back. If I went back to Earth...I know he'd try and get me back and I'd let him. I don't want to go back to that"

Ronon tensed

"If you really want to go back to Earth...I'll come with you."

Elizabeth eyes widened as he said he'd go with her. She could see in his eyes that he meant it, he would sacrifice everything for her.

"Ronon...I could never ask you to do that. This is your home..."

Ronon shook his head and cut him

"I had a home. It was destroyed. I would go to Earth with you."

Elizabeth swallowed hard and looked down.

"I couldn't...I don't..."

Ronon slipped two fingers under her chin and lifted her face. Ronon leant in and kissed her hard, Elizabeth kissed him back gently.

"You're not asking me to go, I want to go."

12 hours later

It hadn't taken long for it to spread that Elizabeth was returning to Earth and Ronon was going with her. Some people refused to believe it, saying Elizabeth loved the city too much to leave, some said that Ronon wouldn't go with her, that he'd back out at the last minute. Elizabeth heard these rumours and had to admit they held some considerable weight.

Ronon knew there was some truth in them as well, part of him was worried about returning to Earth. He didn't know what to expect.

Some had told him about Earth but none of it sounded particularly appealing to him, except the fact that Elizabeth would be there.

John had asked Ronon to go see him in the infirmary, he figured John had heard what was going on and wanted to give him a warning.

Ronon headed down into the infirmary and saw John laying on the bed. Waiting. Ronon walked over to John and nodded

"Sheppard. What can I do for you?"

John sat up and offered Ronon a seat which he took. He slid into the chair and sighed. John waited for a moment before he began.

"I heard Elizabeth's going back to Earth"

Ronon nodded slowly, he'd heard.

"Yeah, she is"

John took a breath before starting again.

"I heard you're going with her. Is that true?"

Ronon nodded again,

"That's true"

John closed his eyes and rubbed his hand across his forehead

"You better take care of her. I mean it, look after her and treat her right. On Earth you will meet some women. And these women will do everything in their power to get you away from Elizabeth, because they'll be jealous of her. If you cheat on her I will come to Earth and kick your ass, don't think I won't."

Ronon shook her head

"I'm not going to hurt her. And I won't make the same mistake you did. I'm not that stupid"

John took a deep breath but let the comment pass.

"Make sure you don't"

Ronon nodded and left the infirmary.

6 hours later

When Elizabeth listened to Simon's message again she realised that it didn't matter if Ronon went with her to Earth. Simon would do everything to get her back, the tone of his voice told her that. It worried her because she didn't want to go back to him, the only reason she was returning to Earth was because of her father and she wondered if that was a good enough reason to uproot herself and Ronon. She was wondering if Ronon actually wanted to leave. She'd talked to him a few times in the last six hours and he seemed to be getting worried about the move, not that he'd ever tell her directly. She only had six hours left to decided.

She'd talked to Rodney who had informed her that he was staying on Atlantis, he didn't say he was staying for Teyla but it was implied. Not that he resented that but she could tell that he was worried about the choice he was making.

She already knew John was staying, part of her wondered if she could deal with not seeing John everyday. He was such a big part of her life, even after everything. He was special to her, so special.

Carson had informed her earlier that he would be staying on Atlantis, he told her that he wouldn't leave his patients. Out of all those which Elizabeth had spoken too, none of them had said that they were returning to Earth. One person she knew was going back to Earth was Kavanagh, he didn't want to risk getting in trouble.

Elizabeth sighed and closed her laptop again, she had something to do before she left. Something she had to tell John. Slowly she left her office and walked through the corridors to the infirmary, when she got there she felt more and more scared about telling John something she'd kept from him for so long. She hadn't told Ronon either but she knew that it was more important John heard this now. There would come a time when she told Ronon, but now wasn't the time.

Elizabeth stepped into the infirmary and walked over to where John was laying on his bed reading War and Peace. He smiled and put now his book when he saw her approach.

"Hey, I thought you'd be packing"

Elizabeth nodded and laughed nervously

"I'm nearly done, just a few more things"

John nodded and then placed the book and the table next to him.

"Are you sure you want to go?"

Elizabeth shook her head honestly and sighed

"No. I'm not."

John closed his eyes and sighed, he was about to say something but Elizabeth cut in

"There's something I want you to know John. The baby...when I lost the baby..."

Elizabeth sat down and buried her head in her hands, this was more difficult then she thought it would be. Slowly she raised her head from her hands.

"...John I knew it might happen. I had an accident when I was younger, the accident...the doctor said the chances of me ever carrying a child full term would be...low...very low"

John sat shocked for a moment. He couldn't quite comprehend when she had told him. Elizabeth stood up and turned round, she was about to walk to the door when he stopped her.

"Wait"

Elizabeth turned round. She couldn't make out the look on his face, he still looked shocked.

"Why are you telling me now?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes

"I wanted you to know, before I left. I know you blamed yourself when it first happened but I thought you had a right to know that it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault."

John nodded slowly, and rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"What kind of accident was it?"

Elizabeth became very quiet and looked away

"I don't want to talk about it. It doesn't matter anymore"

John nodded and held out his hand. Elizabeth put her hand in it and John pulled her forward, forcing her to sit on the bed. John placed his other hand on the top of her leg. Their eyes met and eventually locked.

"Take care of yourself Elizabeth. Please do that for me so I don't have to worry about you as much"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and squeezed his hand

"Only if you do the same"

John nodded and Elizabeth smiled at him. She leant in and kissed him on the cheek. John let his lips graze across Elizabeth's cheek, his head rubbing against hers.

They pulled away from each other and Elizabeth stood up. She looked at him one last time before walking out of the infirmary.

7 hours later

**Earth, SGC**

Only twenty five members of the Atlantis crew had stepped through the Stargate from Atlantis. The SGC personal had to admit that it was surprising, they didn't think near that many would return back.

The twenty five were all being debriefed separately. Then they were going to be called as a group. Kavanagh had been debriefed by Jack and he had used all his strength not to punch the scientist out. Especially now when he was whining about some key members of the Atlantis team.

"I personally think that she is the reason so many have stayed. I think if anyone should be punished it should be her. Weir is not a leader. She played favourites and I know she had an affair with Sheppard, as a result, and you won't find this in any report, she got pregnant. A few months after she lost the baby she got together with an Alien called Ronon Dex. She's incompetent."

Jack rubbed his eyes and sighed

"Well that doesn't matter anymore and do you know why? Because she stayed on Atlantis. She's there, we're here and there is no way we can punish her. Plus she the foremost expert in international and now, interplanetary, relations."

Kavanagh looked pretty confused by what Jack was telling him

"What does that matter? She refused a direct order"

Jack nodded

"It doesn't matter and yeah she did. But I won't let her be punished for doing the right thing. I won't let any of them be punished."

Kavanagh stood up and left the room without being given permission. Jack shook his head and relaxed back into his chair as Walter came into the room with a data disk.

"General, I have a message for you from Dr Weir"

Walter passed Jack a data disk and then left the room. Jack plugged the device into his laptop and selected the video message which was there. On the screen Elizabeth appeared and smiled.

"_General, if you're seeing this, I've decided not to return to Earth. I want you to know I appreciate your support as do the team but Jack I can't ask you to put your career on the line for us. We all know what we're getting ourselves into. Don't worry about us. Do me a favour and get Carrie, the British Diplomat you've got working with you, to contact Daniel. He said he needed some help and she is the best. _

_One more thing Jack, I have a message for my father. I could get Simon to give it to him but...I'm not sure whether he would give it to him. Will you make sure he gets it? Please it's important_

_Give my best to Daniel and Rodney wants me to say 'hi' to Carter for him. _

_All the best Jack_

**Earth, Chicago**

Jack had found all of the contact details for Elizabeth's father. He was in a Nursing Home in the suburbs of Chicago.

Jack went to visit him, not really knowing what to say to the man. He didn't really know anything about Elizabeth beyond her professional work and the fact that she had a big heart. He talked to the man for a few moments when he dropped off the tape but got the idea that he was just as uncomfortable about talking with him. Jack knew he hadn't needed to visit him but he felt he had to, just to try and explain why his daughter couldn't be there.

When Jack left Elizabeth's father put the video Jack had given him into the pressed play.

He smiled as he saw his little girl appear on screen.

"_Hey Dad. I know it's been a long time and I'm sorry. I wish I could be there to talk to you in person, but this will have to do. Daddy, I love you so much and I miss you. I know you don't know where I am but it's classified but I want you to know that I'm happy and there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about you. I know you think I haven't been to see you because you think I don't love you because you're not my biological father but I don't want you to think that. You are my father, you always have been. I'll never stop loving you Daddy. Please know that"_

Her father paused the video, he had tears in his eyes much like his daughter on the screen. Both their eyes were filled to the brim and he let several tears fall down his eyes as he played the rest of the video.

"_I had the chance to come home but what I'm doing here is so important and I know you'd be proud to me. There's someone here, in my life. I don't know where it's going but...I think you'd like him. Once you get though the tough outside...he's so sweet. He's caring and he loves me...I think"_

_Elizabeth smiled on the screen and shuddered slightly _

"_You'll meet him, eventually I promise you. So, I have to go now but...I'll contact you as soon as I can. I love you Dad."_

The old man smiled at the video, happy to see his girl smiling. Picking up the remote he re-winded video and watched it again.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine

6 Months later

**Unknown Planet**

John and Ronon walked slowly over to the Wraith they had just shot, their guns still on it in case it was not dead like they thought. When they reached the Wraith John nudged it with his foot several times.

"It seems dead"

Ronon nodded, lifted his gun and put three more bullets into the Wraith. John looked at him and Ronon simply shrugged

"Just making sure"

John nodded as the two men were joined by Teyla and Rodney. They all looked at the Wraith for a second until John and Ronon hoisted it to it's feet and dragged it along the dusty road to the Stargate. Carson was making some amendments to the Wraith drug he was making and needed a dead Wraith. Elizabeth had been slightly apprehensive about killing a Wraith simply to harvest it's DNA but that was the moment John and Ronon tag teamed her, reminding her that the Wraith would kill them without a second thought. Both men had a point and she knew that, so eventually she agreed.

They activated the Stargate and Ronon sent through his IDC. They waited for a moment to give them chance to lower the shield before stepping through.

**Atlantis**

When they stepped through Elizabeth was already waiting for them, with Carson and a team who were going to take the Wraith corpse straight into an isolation chamber where nothing could get to it and upset it's genetic nature.

"It went well I guess"

Ronon nodded as he and John handed the Wraith over to Carson and his team as they went about isolating him.

Elizabeth nodded and sighed, part of her still felt uneasy about this, after all the Wraith element could be suppressed leaving ordinary humans. But as Ronon continued to tell her, 'They can never be human, not properly, no matter what we do to them, they will always be Wraith, they will always be killers.' Of course when Elizabeth asked him if that was how he felt about Teyla, after all she had some Wraith DNA, he got quite mad with her saying it was completely different and that Teyla was not a Wraith. It had been quite ironic really that their first real argument as a couple had involved Teyla but they both shrugged it off and promised to forget it.

The team walked down to the infirmary in tow with Elizabeth as she was needed to talk to Carson. When they reached the infirmary the team headed off to where some nurses and Dr Murry were waiting for them and Elizabeth walked into Carson's office with him.

"Carson, I trust this Wraith will be helpful"

Carson nodded and led her out of his office

"Aye. You understand what I'm trying to do and I appreciate you letting me go ahead with him"

Elizabeth nodded as the two of them walked into the observation room which was connected with the isolation room.

The two looked at the dead Wraith, not noticing that something had escaped the isolation room and was laying close to their feet in the observation room.

"I'm going to start work straight away, the DNA needs to be fresh"

Elizabeth nodded as she watched Carson put on a hazmat suit and opened the door to the isolation room. Elizabeth continued to watch as he walked to the Wraith, not knowing that her own life was in danger.

Something familiar was stalking her, hunting her. Elizabeth watched Carson for a while, getting lost in his actions before she stepped away from the glass and went to walk out of the room. She stopped as she felt something on her back. She turned round but failed to see anything. She was about to carry on walking when her radio crackled

"_Elizabeth?"_

"Yes Ronon"

"_Where are you?"_

Elizabeth shook her head, she'd told him to reduce the radio chatter that wasn't professional but he really didn't seem to care if people knew, it was like he was trying to make a statement to the male population of Atlantis.

"I'm with Carson down in isolation. He's just started examining the Wraith."

"_It's just you're late for the briefing"_

Elizabeth shook her head and looked at her watch. She was shocked at the amount of time she'd spent watching Carson examine the Wraith. It had been nearly an hour since the team had returned back. She had

lost track of time. Sighing Elizabeth tapped her radio

"Give me a couple of minutes"

Elizabeth left the observation room and walked down the quiet corridor. Elizabeth got the uneasy feeling that something was watching her. Elizabeth shuddered as she felt something on her shoulder, at first she thought it was just her imagination, but when it didn't go Elizabeth turned and looked at her shoulder.

When she saw what was there her breathing quickened but she stood frozen not able to do anything. A moment later Elizabeth choked as it drove itself into her mouth before she could do anything. A second after that Elizabeth's eyes glowed and a twisted smirk covered her face.

----------

Elizabeth entered the briefing room, observing the three men and one woman who were sitting there. Obviously waiting for her. Each of the men had their own qualities which made them very attractive. Elizabeth walked forward to the desk and sat down in the seat that was reserved with her between John and Ronon. She relaxed back in the chair and crossed her legs. The four people in the room looked at her slightly confused. The scientist seemed to be the only one with the guts to ask her if she was alright,

"Elizabeth, are you feeling okay?"

They were obviously were not used to seeing her like this. Quickly Elizabeth sat up and looked business like.

"Yes of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

The scientist shrugged at the military commander on his right side. John shrugged back and started the briefing.

------------

It didn't take Elizabeth to close the meeting, for the most part she had been bored but half-way through Elizabeth had found a way of amusing herself. Namely sliding her foot up and down the leg of the well muscled and cute man sitting next to her. She suppressed a giggle when she slid her foot right up his leg and his thigh and he almost jumped out of his seat.

Straight after the meeting had closed Elizabeth headed to her quarters to find some clothing which wasn't quite restrictive. She slipped off her jacket and threw it towards the bed, followed by her t-shirt. For a second she stood in front of the full length mirror and smiled.

This body was good, better than good. It held some major sex appeal, she could use that. Elizabeth pulled out a halter-neck top and looked at it before removing her Bra and putting the halter-neck on. Yep this body was good.

She looked through the trousers next, trying to find something better then the ones she was wearing at the moment. It took a while but she eventually found some tight fitting jeans in the back of the wardrobe, they'd obviously been forgotten about.

Smiling she removed her trousers and put on the jeans. Once she was changed she smoothed out the clothes over her body, removed her radio and headed out of her room.

­------------------

"_Colonel Sheppard?"_

John tapped the radio

"Go ahead Carson"

The other man on the radio sounded slightly worried

"_We've got a problem. I discovered naquaada in the Wraith's blood stream"_

John stood confused for a second

"Naquaada? Doesn't that..."

"_Come from Goa'lud's, yes. We need everyone on the base to be checked. It's possible that there is a Goa'uld loose on Atlantis"_

--------------------

Elizabeth propped herself against the doorway as she watched Ronon, Lorne and Bates. Smirking she walked into the room. The three men noticed her and stopped their training, they were all slightly out of breath and this was only increased when they all saw what Elizabeth was wearing.

"Gentlemen"

She came further into the room walking past Bates, letting her hand brush his, as she went and picked up two sparring sticks. She threw them up and caught them again before turning back round to the three men, who all seemed quite confused.

Ronon gave the other two men a nod and they left the room, leaving Ronon and Elizabeth all alone. Elizabeth smirked and walked over to him. She dropped the sparring sticks on the floor and placed her hands on his chest. Ronon grabbed her by the wrists and pushed her back slightly

"What's with you today? You're acting very strange and those are not your normal clothes"

Elizabeth continued to smirk as she pushed him full force against the nearest wall. Ronon's back slammed into the wall behind him, he was shocked by the force of which Elizabeth pushed him. He was about to say something when her lips attacked his. Ronon was about to relax into it but something in his rational mind screamed that this wasn't right and he pushed her away.

"What's wrong with you?"

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed, walking back from him. She didn't say anything as she turned round and walked out of the room.

--------------------

John rushed into the observation room where Carson was waiting for him.

"Are you sure?"

John didn't want small talk, he just wanted to know straight up if there was a problem. Carson nodded in response.

"Have you radioed Elizabeth?"

Carson half nodded

"I tried, she didn't respond"

John nodded slowly and then stood in thought for a moment

"Okay, I want all members of personal, starting with my team and the medical team which handled the Wraith, checked for any signs of naquaada in their blood stream and then we'll go city wide. I don't want to alarm the rest of the personal so you can't tell them why they are being tested."

Carson nodded slowly and was on his radio asking his medical team to set up for incoming.

-------------------------

4 hours later

Carson add to admit that he'd never worked so hard in his life. He'd gotten blood samples from nearly everyone in the city. There was only a few people unaccounted for and one of those people was Elizabeth. When asked Ronon said that he hadn't seen since the gym, but when he told them that Elizabeth hadn't been herself since the Wraith had been brought back to Atlantis the team suddenly became...concerned. John, acting quickly and decisively contacted all military personal and told them to be on the look out for Weir.

"_Sir, this is Lorne. May I ask what the problem is?"_

John cleared his throat slightly

"Major, we have a Goa'uld on the base and it's entirely possible that it has taken Dr Weir as a host."

He thought he heard Lorne gasping on the over the radio and it did take him a few moments to speak again.

"_I saw her heading in the direction of the armoury about twenty minutes ago"_

"You sure?"

"_Yes sir, I'm positive she was heading there"_

John shot a look at Ronon who was already running down to the armoury.

"Lorne call Bates, a security team and get down there. Apprehend her but don't, I repeat, do not harm her."

"_Yes sir"_

John then ran from the infirmary, following in the direction that Ronon had gone but not seeing the younger man anywhere.

-------------------

Elizabeth secured a handgun in a leg strap and stuffed more ammunition, for that and the P-90 she was carrying, into a backpack. She placed a grenade and some more C-4 into the combat vest she was wearing. She was about to head out when she heard radio chatter

"_Lorne call Bates, a security team and get down there. Apprehend her but don't, I repeat, do not harm her."_

Elizabeth sighed and picked up a hand held stunner. Normally she wouldn't think twice about killing all these people, but something wouldn't let her.

Elizabeth clipped the P-90 to her combat vest, one hand secured on it while holding the stunner in her right hand. Elizabeth moved out, her attention split between two things. The radio chatter and making sure that nobody could find her. She knew the best way to get around the city without being spotted, she just hoped Ronon and John didn't know that way too.

-----------------

By the time Ronon reached the armoury, Elizabeth was gone. He could tell she'd been there thought. Things had moved, things were missing and he could smell her scent. A light subtle vanilla scent that he could smell on her hair when she wrapped herself up to him at night. Ronon continued to think about Elizabeth, his thoughts were just filled by her until John ran into the room.

"Ronon, is she here?"

It took several seconds but Ronon finally reacted and turned to him.

"No she was here though"

Ronon stepped out of the room and looked around the corridors.

"She knows this city better then anyone. She could be anywhere"

John nodded in agreement as Lorne, Bates and the team arrived at the room.

John and Ronon turned to them, Ronon saw the P-90's and grimaced.

"Get rid of the P-90's and get stunner's. I won't let you harm her"

The men nodded and quickly swapped their guns for Wraith and hand held stunner's. John then lined them up and stared at them, stating his authority

"She'll be heading to the control room, the Stargate is the only way out of Atlantis for her."

"What about the Jumpers, sir?"

The question came for one of the young marines who was stood next to Bates. John looked at the young man for a second before answering.

"She doesn't have the gene, she can't fly them"

The young marine nodded and John went back to addressing the team. He split them up into teams of two, placing himself with Ronon. Being the two who knew Elizabeth the best they had a fair idea of where she could have gone. They both knew that when Elizabeth wanted to stay away from people she would use the back passages in Atlantis which only high level personal knew how to get around. .

The two of them rushed along the corridors, hoping to find some sign of Elizabeth but the couldn't. It was as if she had just disappeared of the face of Atlantis. They were just about to give up and head into the heart of Atlantis when their radio's crackled and the voice of a marine, who wasn't on the current search team but know about the situation, came through.

"_Colonel Sheppard. I've just seen Weir head up into the Jumper Bay"_

John and Ronon turned to each other before rushing through the corridors to the Jumper Bay. When they got there the Jumper Bay was dark. The lights were out. The two search around the Jumpers.

-----------------

Elizabeth silently cursed as she saw John and Ronon enter the Jumper Bay. She knew if they where up here, they had found her.

She closed her eyes and stood still for a moment. She listened carefully, they weren't speaking, they were looking and she knew that eventually, they would find her.

She slid round one of the Jumper as she pushed back the little nagging voice in her head which was telling her not to harm them. As Ronon walked into her line of sight, Elizabeth raise her P-90, her finger on the trigger. She was about to shoot when he looked directly at her.

-------------------

Ronon heard something, he wasn't sure what but he'd heard it. Quickly he spun round, his stunner raised and he saw Elizabeth staring at him. Her P-90 aimed directly at him. He wasn't going to shoot her, but she didn't know that. Quickly he picked up his own gun and aimed it at her.

"Don't because you know this'll kill you"

John appeared next to Ronon, he had his own stunner. They both pointed their weapons at Elizabeth as she slowly placed her P-90 to the floor. As she raised back up she pulled the handgun from her leg strap and fired two shots at the men. One hit Ronon is the leg, causing him to fall to the floor. One hit John in the thigh causing him to double up in pain.

Elizabeth then picked up her P-90, she was about to run into one of the Jumpers when something stopped her. Slowly she tapped her radio.

"You're gonna want to send a medical team to the Jumper Bay. You have two men down."

Elizabeth ran to the Jumper when something stopped her.

"'Lizabeth?"

She turned round and saw Ronon staring at her, tears in his eyes from the pain he was in. Elizabeth stared at him for a moment before turning round into the Jumper. Elizabeth threw her stuff in the passenger seat before sitting in the pilots seat and activating the Jumper.

Outside Ronon and John watched, astounded as the Jumper rose slightly. The main part of the floor retracted and the Jumper floated down the centre of the floor.

--------------------

Lorne and Bates entered the control room to see a medical team running up to the Jumper Bay. A moment later the Jumper came through the roof and the Stargate activated. Lorne looked at Chuck in confusion but Chuck shook his head, he hadn't activated the Stargate. Lorne activated the radio.

"Dr Weir? Dr Weir I know that you're in there"

"_Major Lorne, you are mistaken. Dr Weir is gone. I am your Goddess Selkhet"_

The voice on the other side of the radio was distorted, but he could hear that it was Elizabeth. A moment later the Jumper shot through the Stargate.

----------------

2 Days Later

Ronon closed his eyes tightly against infirmary lights.

"Can you do something about these lights?"

The lights dimmed and Ronon opened his eyes fully. He stared up at the ceiling as he felt a pain shoot though his leg. He turned and saw John sitting the the chair next to him dressed in his uniform.

"Morning"

Ronon nodded slowly

"How long have I been asleep?"

John poured Ronon a glass of water and handed it to him. Ronon took the water and slipped at it.

"About two days."

Ronon nodded slightly before trying to sit up.

"Elizabeth?"

John shook his head slightly

"We haven't found her. Lorne and Bates headed out to the planet she escaped too but...they couldn't find her. I've got Rodney working on a redial device. He says it's impossible but he's just saying that so he can be a hero when he figures it out"

Ronon nodded slowly again.

"How's your leg? Didn't she shoot you too?"

John smiled slightly

"It just grazed me, I'm fine."

Ronon rubbed his hand across his face.

"How long until I can join the search?"

John sighed slightly and shook his head

"Ronon you've been shot..."

"...She's shot me before, it didn't stop me then and it won't stop me now."

John closed his eyes and leant back in the chair, he decided to change the subject, he didn't want to get in an argument with him.

"We're researching the Goa'uld. According to Bates she said her name was Selkhet. We're looking into it but without Earth's help it's going to be difficult, what we've got so far is that she's a scorpion-goddess. We're hoping this Goa'uld is mentioned in the Atlantis database."

Ronon nodded slowly

"Will we be able to save her, like we did Caldwell?"

John turned away slightly.

"We have two options, Asgard beaming technology removed the Goa'uld from Caldwell, we don't have that. Our other option is the Tok'ra"

"Get the Tok'ra"

John took his head

"I can't. We'd need a ZPM and the address to the Tok'ra home world. We simply don't have those things"

"What would you do to her then? If we couldn't save her"

John gritted his teeth. He didn't want to tell Ronon what would happen but knew he had to.

"We'd search for a way of removing the Goa'uld or a way of finding a ZPM and the Tok'ra. But until that happened we keep her...secured."

Ronon curled his hands into a ball

"You mean you'd keep her locked up like an animal"

John shook his head

"No, no I would never do that to her. She'd be kept in a secure facility on the Alpha site. She'd be kept comfortable, no harm would come to her and when she was better I would...she would be back in command"

"She won't be the same, will she?"

John didn't know how to answer, he wanted Elizabeth to come back safe and sound as well but he knew that she would be changed.

"If we get to her quick enough...she'll be the same."

Ronon didn't quite believe him but nodded all the same. John knew that Ronon didn't believe him, he didn't quite believe himself. Both men knew that it would change Elizabeth is so many ways and she would never get back to the way she was.

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine

Note: I know I should apologise for not updating but I won't because I've was busy with final exams and coursework during the last year and they come first. I passed them all by the way and will be going to Uni next year

A week Later

Ronon had been true to his word. He was up and ready to go help with the search. John had convinced Carson to release the two of them from the infirmary and Carson, knowing that they were the only two people who knew Elizabeth well enough to know how she thought, agreed but on the condition that if they felt in pain, they return back to Atlantis.

Ronon, John, Teyla, Rodney and the escort security team were ready to disembark to the planet on which Elizabeth had originally escaped to. Rodney had finally worked out a redial devise although he did say that he wasn't a hundred percent sure that it would take them to the right planet but John had told him that a chance was better then nothing.

Lorne and Bates walked down to steps to where the team were standing and John turned to him.

"Are you sure you don't want us to go along Sir?"

John nodded and looked round at the team.

"You need to be here to hold down the fort. If something goes wrong...Atlantis will need the two of you"

Bates and Lorne nodded slowly knowing that John was worried about what Selkhet would do to them if she was there.

"Best of luck, bring her home"

John nodded and turned to his team as Bates and Lorne made their way up to Chuck and ordered him to dial the 'Gate

**Commian **

Ronon, John and the team stepped though the Stargate. The looked around, the planet had lush green plants and trees all around. The team found a path and started to walk around it, John ordering them to be on their guard. They made their way up a steep hill, as they reached the top of the hill and walked into a clearing Rodney sighed and shook his head, something was out of place and he knew what it was. John turned to him for a second.

"Is that..."

"...A Goa'uld mothership? Yes"

The team looked up at the big pyramid shaped ship that overlooked a small village. John took out a pair of binoculars and looked through them. He could see two Jaffa standing guard at the doorway not to mention the other Jaffa who were positioned around the perimeter of the ship as well as the guards in the village.

John sighed and turned to the team.

"Okay, this is what we'll do. Anderson, you and your security team secure the Stargate, if we need to escape, we'll need the Stargate. Ronon, Teyla, the two of you are with me. We'll go down there, talk to the local's, see if they know any way of getting into that thing"

John turned to Rodney and sighed

"Rodney...you don't have to come with..."

"I'm coming. I'm not leaving her there"

John smiled slightly and nodded, he knew how much Rodney loved and cared for Elizabeth. She was like a sister to him. She'd said it herself, that Rodney reminded her of an older brother.

"Let's go then"

The two teams split up, Anderson's team walked back down the hill towards the Stargate and John's team made their way down to the village.

Despite being ruled by an evil Goa'uld the villagers didn't seem to be fearing for their lives, instead they looked quite happy.

The team made their way carefully around the village trying not to be spotted by the guards. They walked around for a couple of minutes trying to get the feel of the village before they were approached by a oldish man with grey hair.

"Greetings strangers, may I request your names?"

John smiled at the man.

"Hey, I'm Colonel Sheppard. This is Ronon, Teyla and Dr McKay"

"I am Locke. Can I ask why you are visiting our village?"

John nodded and took out a picture of Elizabeth from his pocket. He looked at it briefly for a moment before turning it around and showing Locke.

"Have you seen this woman?"

Locke smiled happily.

"Yes, that is our Goddess Selkhet. She came to us 7 suns ago with her protectors and blessed us with the fruits of life, she made us reborn, she made us her children"

John nodded slowly and Locke excused himself as a woman came to him. John turned to the team and sighed

"Is it me or did he seem whacked?"

Ronon and Teyla shared a glance not knowing what John had meant to say but Rodney just shrugged.

"She might of not given them any reason to fear her yet. She's only been here a week after all"

John nodded and was about to continue when Teyla and Ronon pointed their guns at him. John was about to ask what the hell was going on but Teyla nodded behind him. John turned round and saw who Teyla and Ronon were really pointing their guns at and it wasn't him. It was a group of Jaffa who had their own weapons pointed at them. The Jaffa all had symbols tattooed on their foreheads but one Jaffa had a gold one. The symbol represented that of a Scorpio curled round in a ball. This one walked towards John and stared him down.

"Lower your weapons and you shall not be harmed. Disobey us and we have instructions to kill you"

John thought for a second. Elizabeth was giving them a chance not to be hurt and he knew it was going to be the only chance she gave.

Slowly John put down his weapon. The others followed suit. Ronon was last, he was reluctant to leave himself defenceless but Teyla shot him a look and he complied with the order of the Jaffa.

Their weapons were taken away from them and then the group were dragged through the village and into the Pyramid. They were dragged around the corridors and eventually dumped into a cell. It took a moment but they spotted them.

"Anderson, what the hell happened?"

Anderson and his team were sat on the floor, all of them looking pretty pissed.

"We were ambushed on the way back to the 'Gate. They were waiting for us"

John sighed and slid down to the floor.

"How long have you been here?"

Anderson shrugged

"Not long, one of the Jaffa said that 'the beautiful Goddess would speak to us soon'"

John could hear Anderson's tone turn into a mock when he imitated the Jaffa. John had heard how egocentric Goa'uld's could be, even if this time the beauty of their Goddess was true.

Four Hours later 

**Atlantis**

The Stargate activated and Lorne walked over to Chuck.

"IDC?"

Chuck shook his head and turned back to his control panel

"No Sir but we have a visual and audio transmission"

Lorne nodded

"Patch it through"

Chuck did as he asked and a moment later a familiar face came onto the screen.

"Lieutenant Ford"

Ford smirked slightly

"_Yeah, bit of a shock that I'm still alive, I know but here I am."_

Lorne took a deep breath, he couldn't deal with any of Ford's tricks today

"What do you want Ford?"

Ford held up his hand in defence

"_Hey, here I am, coming to give you valuable information and you're being all hostile. I'm not sure whether I should help you now"_

Lorne took a moment to calm himself down before speaking again.

"What can I do for you Ford?"

Ford smirked, knowing he'd won.

"_I heard about Weir, that's a tough break. She does look great though."_

It took Lorne a minute to realise what Ford had said but when he realised he became very interested in what Ford had to say

"Have you seen her?"

Ford nodded.

"_Came across her or Selkhet as it is now. I've heard some things which I think you'd like to hear"_

Lorne thought for a second before tapping his radio.

"Security team two, suit up and get to the 'Gate in five minutes"

Lorne turned back to Ford.

"Okay, we'll let you onto Atlantis and we'll talk"

Ford shook his head

"_Not good enough. I want that Wraith you killed in exchange for my information"_

Lorne cursed silently. He knew how important the Wraith was to Carson's research but then again Carson had said that the Naquaada could have damaged the cells that he needed to prefect the virus.

"I'm sure we can come to a deal. A team will be there soon to escort you back to Atlantis"

**Commian **

Ronon lost track of how long they were stuck there before a Jaffa came, dragged him to his feet and dragged him off to a grandly decorated room. Not very long after he entered the room, he was forced to his knees as two Jaffa's entered the room. Followed by Elizabeth.

Ronon had to admit she looked beautiful. She was wearing a long black dress. It was lowcut at the front and back. It flared out at her waist but the top part clung to her tightly. She was covered in jewellery. Gold and silver hung from her.

Slowly she walked from behind the guards and towards Ronon. She signalled to her guards who hoisted him up. He stood up fully and looked down at Elizabeth. She stared into his eyes. They pierced through him and dug right down to his heart.

As he stared into her eyes he could tell she was still there. She was still in there, trying to communicate with him, trying to escape.

Elizabeth raised her hand and slid it along his arm. She smiled slightly

"I can understand why she would chose you. You are very attractive, very strong. I can understand why she would trade in Sheppard for you. Obviously after power"

Ronon kept quiet not wanting to answer. Knowing that the minute he did, Selkhet would have him and he wouldn't be able to escape her. When he didn't answer her, Selkhet got very pissed and used Elizabeth's sharpened fingernails to scratch him down the face, drawing a considerable amount of blood, and causing him pain. This action caused him to fall to his knees, smacking his kneecaps against hard marble floor. He didn't let her know he was in pain though, he wouldn't let her.

"Don't you know how to speak? Because if you don't that doesn't matter, if I remember correctly, you can do other things with that mouth of yours"

Elizabeth bent down to his height and smoothed her fingers over his lips before kissing him. For the first time ever, Ronon pulled away from her. Elizabeth stiffened and stood up,

"No wonder she still lusts after Sheppard. No wonder she has to bite her lip to keep from moaning his name. You're useless"

Elizabeth walked up to her throne and sat down.

"Take him way, bring Sheppard"

**Atlantis **

Bates, his security team and Ford stepped through the Stargate and were met by Lorne who was waiting for them. Ford walked over to Lorne and smiled

"Was the security search necessary?"

Lorne nodded sharply

"You know it was. We couldn't take any risks"

Ford nodded, he understood, after all he knew all Atlantis procedure.

Lorne and Bates led Ford to the briefing room. The three of them sat down while some of the other Marines stood around the room, keeping their weapons at hand.

**Commian **

John walked into the room which Ronon had existed moments before. John didn't know what had happened. All he knew was the Ronon had come back pissed with a long scratch down his face. He hadn't spoken to anyone, he'd just slid down to the floor and sat in silence.

John saw Elizabeth straight away, his eyes almost popping out of his head. He'd never seen her look like that before.

John was pushed to his knees as Selkhet stared at him. After a moment she stood up and walked over to him.

"Is Ronon still off licking his wounds?"

"What did you say to him?"

Selket smiled deviously

"Something you'd be happy to hear. Like Elizabeth still having feelings for you, like Elizabeth thinking about you when she's with Ronon, wanting to scream you name."

She lifted John to his feet and touched his cheek. She pulled herself close to him, rubbing her body against his, running her hands over his chest.

"Pretend you don't want this"

John knew he should pull back from her, after all it wasn't Elizabeth, it was Selkhet. Quickly John pushed her back.

"You're not Elizabeth. She'd never do that to Ronon, she'd never hurt him. She's better than that"

Selkhet sighed and shook Elizabeth's head

"No wonder she left you, you're so pathetic."

John shook his head

"No more pathetic than you, you're a parasite who..."

John was cracked on the head from behind, causing him to fall to the floor. He looked up to see Selkhet looming over him.

"I'm pathetic? I'll tell you who is pathetic, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was a looser, a failure, utterly powerless. She enjoys the power I let her feel."

John shook his head, he was reluctant to believe that

"No, that's not true. You don't know Elizabeth"

Selkhet laughed slightly

"I don't know Elizabeth? I am Elizabeth, I think I know her"

John tried to stand up but was pushed back down but that didn't stop him from trying to reach her

"You're not Elizabeth"

Selkhet walked away from John and back to her throne as John was dragged out of the room and back down to the cell.

**Unknown**

It was cold and dark, Elizabeth didn't know where she was. She tried standing up but something forced her down. It was something strong and she couldn't fight against it, as hard as she tried.

She tried to speak, tried to call for Ronon, John, anyone, but the darkness captured her cry and turned it into dust.

As she struggled onto her knees she thought she heard something, footsteps, coming towards her. They were heavy, perhaps a man.

"Hello?"

Her voice was quiet and low, she thought that whoever or whatever it was wouldn't have heard her, but he did.

"Weir?"

Elizabeth knew the voice, but…she knew it wasn't possible. After all he'd been dead for over two years. She looked around. Not knowing where the voice was coming from but knowing it was close.

"Sumner?"

As soon as she said the name it was like an explosion. A fire set alight in a circle around her and standing there, right in front of her, was Colonel Marshall Sumner.

**Atlantis**

"Are you saying that team have been caught?"

Ford nodded smugly

"That's what I'm saying. Weir has them locked up in some cell. I thought you want to know"

Lorne shot a look at Bates who left the room quickly, it was obvious to Ford that he was going to call all security personal to rescue.

"Marcus should relax more often. He's getting premature wrinkles, tell him that, he'll thank me"

Lorne chose to ignore the comment, but instead turned back round to Ford.

"Do you know anything else, anything that could help us?"

Ford smiled smugly

"I may know the address to where there is a cell of Tok'ra in this galaxy, who could save Elizabeth"

Lorne sat forward slightly

"Ford, tell me your not screwing with me, please"

Ford just continued to smile before taking a drink of water and answering.

"You know I'm not. I know the planet, but the planet is vast. There's no telling where they may be, but I can tell you that the address I have is the planet where they are"

Lorne shook his head for a moment, something about this wasn't right.

"Why are you helping us?"

It took Ford a moment to answer, he'd actually been a little crushed by the question. It was obvious that these people didn't trust him anymore.

"It's Dr Weir, I'm helping her not you"

**Unknown **

Elizabeth stared at Sumner as he offered her his hand. Elizabeth faltered for a moment before before placing her small trembling hand in his. Sumner pulled her to her feet and walked her over to the fire. The heat was intense and it made Elizabeth want back the coldness she had dealt with before.

"You can't leave here. See"

He placed her hand into the fire. The flames and heat caused Elizabeth to scream out it pain, but it didn't make Sumner pull her hand back. She tugged against him as her screams filled the air but he kept her hand firmly in the fire.

A few moments later he let go of her hand and allowed her to pull it back.

Elizabeth cradled her hand which was now burnt so badly she could see bone. Tears of pain ran down her face as she looked at Sumner. When he tried to touch her again she pushed him back with her other hand.

"Stay away from me you son-of-a-bitch"

Sumner didn't though, smoothly he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him. He then took the burnt hand in his. Tears still streamed down Elizabeth's face but slowly by slowly, the pain lessened and eventually it stopped hurting altogether. Sumner released her hand and Elizabeth looked at it, shocked to see that all the damage had been repaired. Her hand was back to normal, there was no charred skin, no blood, no bones. Nothing.

Elizabeth looked up at him, her face was still red from crying as Sumner took her hand and led her back into the middle of the circle.

"You can't leave here. The fire will kill you and I won't be around to save you."

Elizabeth voice was cracked but she still showed her authority

"Where am I? What's happened?"

Sumner rubbed the knuckles of her hand.

"You're a long way from home. You've been invaded, you're body has been taken over and as hard as you try to fight it you can't. Now we'll try and help you though this, but it'll be left to those on the other side to save you. I'm dead, there's nothing I can do to help you on that side, but on this side I can keep you safe."

Elizabeth didn't understand, she knew Sumner was dead, but did that mean she was dead?

"Am I dead?"

Sumner shook his head

"No, you're in a state of limbo and you'll be here...could be a few hours, it could be a few years but you stay here until they save you"

Sumner walked towards the fire and placed his arm in, he didn't cry out in pain, he didn't falter. Sumner saw the horrified confused look on Elizabeth face and pulled his arm out.

His arm was still in perfect condition.

"The fire can't harm the dead."

Sumner took a moment before staring back at Elizabeth.

"We'll be here to help you, so you don't go through this alone but..."

Sumner stopped mid sentence and sighed

"I have to go"

He walked over to Elizabeth and took her face in his hands.

"You'll be visited by someone else, he'll try and deceive you, try and get you to walk though the fire, but if you do that, it'll kill you. Don't let him.

He then walked away from her quickly, through the fire before the lights went out again. Elizabeth was suddenly again in the dark, cold room as she felt herself being pushed back to her knees.

**Commian **

John was pushed back into the cell. He landed on the ground with a thump, causing Teyla and Rodney to rush towards him. Each grabbed one of his arms and pulled him to his feet.

"Are you okay Colonel?"

John nodded slowly, rubbing his head

"Yeah, no big damage"

John looked briefly at Ronon and wondered if what Selkhet had said to him was the same. She was trying to upset them, play with them. John sighed and leant against the wall.

"She's...I couldn't reach her. Selkhet as complete control."

Teyla closed her eyes and sighed. She rubbed her hands over her forehead.

"Ronon?"

Ronon didn't answer, causing Teyla to turn to him

"Ronon?"

Ronon was broke out of his thoughts and looked up at Teyla.

"What?"

Teyla walked over to him and bent down so she was at his level.

"Were you able to reach Elizabeth?"

Ronon stood up, remembering that he couldn't sit around moping, he had a job to do.

"No...Sheppard's right, Selkhet's in complete control and she'll say anything to undermined your trust in Elizabeth"

Teyla and Rodney nodded slowly, knowing it was possible that they would be next.

**Unknown**

Elizabeth sat in the cold and dark for what seemed like hours to her. She tried to move but couldn't. It was as if the darkness was stopping her from trying to escape the fire. Eventually the fire started up again, filling the room with light and heat. This time there was no one there. Elizabeth looked round, but still no one appeared. Elizabeth slowly stood up and found no force pulling her back down. She walked towards the fire, remembering Sumner's warning. Someone else would come and try and trick her. She held up her palm and brushed it across the fire, but not letting the flames touch her hand.

"That's it, you need to go through the fire"

Elizabeth turned round at the familiar voice, but...but this person wouldn't want to kill her.

"Peter?"

Peter stepped forward to her smiling. He took one of her hands.

"Dr Weir, it's so good to see you again."

The English technician pulled her away from the fire slightly.

"I'm guessing Sumner's been to see you."

Elizabeth nodded slightly and Peter sighed

"He told you not to go through the fire right, that it would kill you. He told you to wait for Sheppard and the team to save you?"

Elizabeth nodded again, still slightly shocked that she was seeing Peter. After the siege was over and Elizabeth could finally have some time to herself, she'd gone to her quarters and cried for what had seemed like hours. When she'd shut her eyes she saw him, saw him being killed by the blast. Even though Rodney had never talked about it to her, she suspected he'd talked to Heightmeyer though, she could tell how much seeing it had hurt him.

"You're dead Peter"

Peter nodded slowly

"Yes, I'm sorry to say I didn't get away. It was quick though, I'm grateful for that."

Peter placed a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"Sheppard and the team can't save you and Sumner knows that. Elizabeth you have to fight against what's happening to you and the only way to do that is stepping through the fire."

Elizabeth shook her head

"It'll kill me. It burnt my hand"

Pete removed his hand and took a long deep breath.

"Is that what Sumner told you? He's trying to trick you, he manipulated your mind into believing that the fire burnt you, the truth is, the only way out of here is though that fire, and you know that. This is me, what would I have to gain from harming you. Sumner was the one who never liked you. He has everything to gain from letting this place kill you."

Elizabeth shook her head

"What would he gain though?"

Peter smiled slightly in a way which scared Elizabeth ever so sightly

"His revenge. He blames you for his death, Think about it, if you hadn't have asked Sheppard to come on the expedition, nobody would have been there to kill him. Things would have been completely different."

"He might have still died at the hands of the Wraith"

Peter nodded in agreement

"Maybe, but he'll never know and he blames you for that"

Peter placed his hand on her back and walked her over to the fire.

"It's so easy and it won't hurt."

Peter walked into the flames and held out his hand.

"Come on. You know I wouldn't mislead you"

Elizabeth placed her hand, slowly into his.

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Not mine**

**Atlantis **

The security team, including Bates, walked into the 'Gate room. Ford and Lorne walked over to them. Ford smiled at Bates.

"Have fun out there"

Lorne turned to Ford.

"You're going with them"

Bates and Ford both stared at him and said in union

"What?"

Lorne turned to Bates.

"I'm not sending you and your team in there blind. He obviously knows the planet if he knows Selkhet as taken them hostage"

Bates, pissed, grabbed Lornes arm, totally disregarding the chain of command rule, and dragged him across the room, out of ear shot where they started to have an argument.

Ford watched them in pure amusement; they were obviously having some command problems. After all Bates was head of security but Lorne was military commander at the moment. It was obvious that Bates was usually the one giving orders to Lorne because of the status which Elizabeth had given to him.

"I can't believe you want me to take him along. For crying out loud he's under the effects of the Wraith enzyme."

Lorne sighed deeply

"Listen, St Bates. I am in command here and I won't...I repeat...won't let you and your team go onto a hostile planet which we know nothing about, without an escort."

Bates rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"Come on, Jamie. The guy could be lying, maybe they haven't been caught but he just wants us to go there blindly and get caught by his group. Or maybe, they have been caught and he's working with Selkhet. I can tell you right now that Ford followed Weir's orders without question. What if Selkhet's used that and blinded him. Promised him the Wraith enzyme"

Lorne breathed out deeply.

"Look Marcus, do really think I'd send you out there if I had any doubts? He's worried about Weir, like you said, he was loyal to her. You can see it in his eyes. He's worried, he wants to save her. He's not tricking us"

Lorne placed his hand on Bates' arm

"Trust me Marcus"

Bates nodded slowly and walked away from him and back towards his team.

**

* * *

Unknown **

As soon as Elizabeth placed her hand in Peters, something made her remove it and back up from him.

"No, you're not Peter."

Peter walked out of the flames and towards her. He was pissed, she could tell.

"Look, you are not going to get out of here unless you go through that fire..."

"Don't"

The voice caught them both off guard. A light, a light Elizabeth recognised instantly as an Ancient, flew down to them and took the form of a man. Good looking, only about twenty-three years old. There was something about him Elizabeth's recognised but couldn't put her finger on.

"Don't go though that fire, it will kill you"

Peter looked up at them man, he was pissed off.

"What are you doing here? You're not supposed to interfere."

The young man looked at him in disbelief

"I'm not going to let you kill her."

Peter walked up to the man and stared him down.

"You broke the rules. She has to decide for herself. You know that"

The young man was about the same height as Peter but suddenly he seemed to get taller.

"She decided the minute she pulled back from you. Now go. You only get one shot, you know that"

Peter pulled back from the man, and after shooting at look at Elizabeth he walked back through the flames.

Elizabeth turned to the young man who smiled at her.

"I'm going to get in so much trouble for helping you. But I don't care. I'm been looking over you for long enough now to know that you don't deserve to die. You've been through so much. I'm going to help you"

Elizabeth walked back from him slightly. She didn't trust him and he didn't blame her, after all Peter had just tried to kill her.

"Why would Peter try and hurt me?"

The young man stayed back from her, giving her the space she needed.

"This place changes people. Peter didn't deal with it so well."

Elizabeth nodded sadly. Peter...Peter was the sweetest person she'd ever known and now...now he was trying to kill her.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Connor"

Elizabeth nodded slowly.

"Why are you helping me?"

Connor thought for a moment before answering.

"Because...because I owe you"

Elizabeth shook her head slightly

"I don't even know you. How could you owe me?"

Connor stood nervously looking down at his feet.

"You do know me, or at least you should have. I don't know how to say this, without making it sound unbelievable but I'll try."

Connor took a deep breath and walked over to Elizabeth

"I'm your son"

**

* * *

Commian **

Teyla was thrown to the floor at Elizabeth's feet. In act which Selkhet hadn't done before, she ordered her Jaffa out of the room. Leaving the two of them alone.

"Teyla, Teyla, Teyla."

Teyla looked up at her before standing up. The two women stared at each other before Selkhet backhanded Teyla across the face. The force of the slap forced Teyla's head to one side.

"You have no idea how long she's waited to do that"

Teyla wanted to clutch her face but didn't. She wouldn't show weakness.

"I don't believe that. Elizabeth and I are good friends"

Selkhet laughed cruelly

"Good friends? This bitch stole your man"

Teyla shook her head

"That is not true"

Selkhet smiled and shook her head

"She was sleeping with Ronon, long before the two of you broke up. Long before Sheppard left her for Mokian. Didn't you know that?"

Teyla shook her head and smiled

"Say what you will, but I know the truth"

Selkhet twisted smiled fell as she walked in closer to Teyla, their bodies almost touching. She moved back a piece of her hair and whispered into her ear.

"The baby was Ronon's"

Teyla pushed her back. She knew that Selkhet was playing with her, John said she would but the words stung.

"The baby was John Sheppard's"

Selkhet tilted her head slightly

"If you want to believe that, you may. But Ronon was all too willing to play Daddy to her child. He'd never had done that for you, after all, didn't he tell you he didn't want children? I guess that just applied to having children with you."

Teyla didn't even realise she'd done it but her hand reached out and smacked Elizabeth hard across the face, busting her lip. Selkhet just laughed and turned around, walking back up to her throne and sat down.

"You're so easy to torment. Hey, should I tell you what she got up to with Rodney?"

Teyla turned away from her and Selkhet called the Jaffa to take her back to the cell.

Teyla was thrown back into the cell. Rodney immediately came to her side and looked at her face which had a big red hand print on the left cheek. But Teyla wasn't interested in him. She knew that what Selkhet had told her was a lie, but a part of her believed it. She needed to know.

Teyla stood up and walked over to Ronon. Ronon looked up at her. He saw the tears in her eyes.

"Tell me the truth Ronon. Were you with Elizabeth before the two of us finished?"

Ronon shook his head quickly,

"No"

Ronon stood up and held her arms, looking at her.

"What did she say to you?"

Teyla shook her head and turned away from him. She took a deep breath.

"She was teasing me. Trying to...I don't know. I got so angry I hit her. She knew exactly what to say"

**

* * *

Unknown **

Elizabeth looked at the man who had just claimed to be her son. He couldn't be though, her child was dead and even if he was alive, he'd only be a seven months old, not twenty-three years.

"You're lying. My baby is dead"

Connor tried to touch her arms but she pulled back. Sighing he dropped his arms to his side

"I know I should be dead, but the Ancients saved me. Ascended me, elevated my growth."

Elizabeth shook her head

"Why would they do that?"

Connor shrugged slightly

"I never understood myself really. Something about my DNA and about Dad's. Apparently he comes from a long line of Atlantis rulers. Do you remember when Carson found the hologram in Atlantis, well that woman comes from Dad's family line."

Elizabeth shook her head and turned away from him. She couldn't stand this.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you lying? Loosing that baby killed me. How can you pretend to be my child?"

Connor stepped forward and grabbed her arms, forcing her to turn round and face him.

"I'm not lying. You're my Mum. You gave me life."

Elizabeth looked at the young man. His hair was all John, except the colour, that was hers. The ears were John's, sadly. Looking at him made her think that maybe he was telling the truth but she still found it...incredible.

"The Ancients are not supposed to interfere. But if the saved you, it means they did"

Connor nodded slowly

"It was a rogue group, the other Ancients weren't very happy but they agreed that I was important so they let me stay as one of them. I'm actually part of that rogue group that's why I've been able to come down here. Our rules are not as...strict as the other Ancients. Actually the other Ancients turn a blind eye to what I do, you know being Dad's kid and all. It has certain perks"

Connor saw the look on Elizabeth's face was still utter disbelief. Not that he could blame her, what was happening to her and what he was saying was enough to confuse anyone.

"I know this is a lot but it's all true."

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Okay, so if it is true. Why are you here?"

Connor smiled

"To help you, you're my mother after all."

Elizabeth sat down on the floor and Connor sat down next to her.

"Mum, you've gotta believe me. I'm your son. What Sumner told you was true. There's no way out of here, it all depends on whether Dad, Teyla, Rodney and...Ronon...can save you"

Connor's voice seemed to drop a little on Ronon's name, making Elizabeth wonder if he actually liked the man.

Elizabeth looked at him, she looked in his eyes. They were like John's, they were honest like John's. Slowly Elizabeth nodded and Connor smiled

"Thank you. You have no idea how much having your trust means to me"

**

* * *

Commian **

Bates, Ford and the team reached the top of the hill and looked down over the village. The saw the Jaffa that were positioned throughout the city and they saw the Mothership. Bates cursed slightly.

"No wonder they got caught, especially if they walked into that."

He turned to the team and sighed

"We're not getting to that damn mothership, not with all them there."

Bates turned to Ford and sighed

"Got anymore bright ideas."

Ford nodded and looked down at the village

"Yeah, I do but I need you to do something for me. You've got to stay where you are, don't draw attention to yourself no matter what I do"

Bates suddenly got very worried

"What are you going to do?"

Ford just smiled and ran down to the hill towards a group of Jaffa

"Ford!"

Bates called out after him and was about to run down and get him but Richards stopped him.

"Sir you can't. Let him do this"

Bates closed his eyes tight and sighed

Ford heard Bates call after him but ignored him. He had to do this. Quickly Ford found a group of Jaffa who insistently pointed their weapons at him. Ford held up his arms

"I'm unarmed. I wish to speak with the Goddess Selkhet"

One of the Jaffa walked up to him and looked up and down, sizing him up.

"Why would she want to see you?"

Ford smiled

"Tell her it's Aiden Ford. She'll see me"

The Jaffa nodded and grabbed Ford by the arm. They dragged him into mothership while one of the guards obviously went to see Selkhet to tell her of his arrival. A few moments later the guard came back and nodded at the other Jaffa who then dragged him into the room where Selkhet was.

When Ford entered the room he was forced to sit down on a sofa type thing. A few moments later Selkhet entered. Ford felt his breathing increase slightly as she entered, he'd always had a bit of a crush on the expedition leader but seeing her dressed like that was...it was wow.

Selkhet came and sat next to him smiling.

"Aiden Ford. It's been a long time, what can I do for you?"

Ford smiled

"First I must say, you're not nearly as terrifying as I thought you would be."

"Thank you. I'm not nearly as evil as some people think I am, but then, I guess you understand what it's like to be...different"

Ford nodded slowly and took the glass of wine which she produced.

"I guess I can understand"

Ford sipped his wine before turning to her.

"What I want to know...is how a Goa'uld got to this galaxy. I must say I'm curious as to why you're here"

Selkhet looked down slightly.

"It was a long and terrifying battle for power. I managed to escape with a few loyal Jaffa. Coming to this Galaxy I realised that the Wraith were the dominate species"

Ford nodded slightly in understand

"You decided to take them as hosts instead of humans?"

Selkhet nodded slightly, smirking

"I did not care for their appearance but...they were powerful but this woman. There is something about her, something that was not present in the Wratih. Taking her as a host is not merely not for survival."

Ford nodded and took a sip of wine, wondering what Selkhet could have possibly in Elizabeth. What was so powerful about her?

Selkhet delicately sipped her own wine before speaking again. Changing the subject.

"What do you want? Have you come to rescue your team?"

Ford decided to play dumb

"What do you mean?"

Selkhet smiled and set the glass she held on her lap.

"Sheppard's team, you know, the team that had no trouble replacing you for someone...please don't hate me for saying this...but for someone stronger, faster and much more attractive than you."

Ford stated at her darkly. His eyes piercing her. Selkhet smiled and placed her hand on Ford's knee

"I'm joking. I didn't mean it."

Ford stood up and walked away from her. Selkhet watched in amusement.

"I didn't know they were here. That's not what I wanted to speak to you about anyway. I wanted to speak about an alliance"

Ford turned round to see Selkhet sitting up, looking very interested in what he had to say.

"Pray tell"

Ford smiled again, it was working perfectly.

"Well you know I have a group who have the same...abilities as me. I'm very interested in seeing how a Goa'uld can enhance those abilities."

Selkhet smiled

"What would I get in return?"

Ford walked over to her and stood her up. The two stood close to each other, their bodies touching.

"You would get in return access to the men who I experiment on. They'd be a lot more effective than your current Jaffa."

He could see her thinking about the proposition.

"You mean to tell me that you won't try and save your team"

Ford shook his head

"No. I don't really care what you do to them. They didn't really care about happened with me"

Ford knew that wasn't true. He knew that the team had tried to 'save' him, although he still protested he didn't need saving, after all there was nothing wrong with him.

Selkhet smiled and called her Jaffa into the room.

"Bring me your men, I would like to see them first"

Ford nodded and moved away from her.

"I will bring them to you before nightfall"

With that Ford turned round and left the room. The Jaffa escorted him through the corridors. After a moment Ford stopped walking. One of the Jaffa shoved him

"Keep moving"

Ford nodded and took one step forward before spinning round and knocking the guards flat on their asses. He then picked up their weapons and smacked them on the head with them. Once he was sure they were out cold he ran along the corridors, looking for the cells were the team would be being kept. It took him a while but he eventually found it.

When John saw Ford run down the corridor he thought he was seeing things but Teyla had seen him too, and she didn't usually see things which weren't there.

Ford stopped outside their cell and smiled.

"I'm risking my life to save your asses. I expect a big thank you."

Ford went to blast the door open when he was hit on the head from behind. John looked up at the person who had hit him, shocked to see Elizabeth standing there.

She glanced at two Jaffa who opened the cell and threw Ford in with them. Teyla ran to his side quickly and checked the wound on his head. Luckily he wasn't loosing blood.

Elizabeth stared at them. She looked pissed off.

"I cannot believe he thought I was stupid enough to believe him. He obviously doesn't think very highly of my intelligence. Elizabeth is hurt by that, I'm hurt by that."

She looked over at the people in the cell in turn. They could tell she was wondering what to do with them.

"You should be punished, especially him..." She looked over at Ford who's head was sat in Teyla's lap "...I have been letting her feelings for you all get in the way. Truth is I should have killed you all the moment my guards found you"

John tried to say something but Selkhet cut him off

"Don't you speak. Elizabeth doesn't wish to hear your pathetic attempts. Your voice annoys and bores her."

Selkhet clicked her fingers and a Jaffa came to her side.

"Inform the villagers that at sunset they are to gather at the steps of the temple. Tell them that they will see what happens to traitors and those who do not believe in the power and teachings of Selkhet"

The Jaffa smiled in a sort of twisted way,

"Straight away your highness"

**

* * *

Atlantis **

Lonre listened carefully as Bates told him what had happened and what he had heard.

"Sunset, are you serious?"

He saw Bates nod into the camera before sighing,

"_I haven't got a clue what he did. Sunset is in about an hour. We need a plan otherwise they are dead"_

Lorne nodded slowly

"Okay, Bates keep your team there. I'm going to send in some more personal. Our best bet is to storm the village. Take a couple of Jumpers, keep them cloaked and try and rescue Sheppard and the team"

Bates nodded slowly

"_What about Weir?"_

Lorne knew the answer to that straight away

"We can't kill, we won't kill her. We stun or tranquillise her and bring her home"

Bates nodded in understanding.

"_Send the team quickly"_

Lorne nodded and watched Bates shut off the camera. Lorne took a long sigh before tapping his radio and calling all military personal to the briefing room.

**

* * *

Unknown **

When Connor had asked Elizabeth about her own father she'd been reluctant to answer, until he gave her a smile which reminded her of one of John's smiles. Suddenly Elizabeth found herself talking about her life and feeling comfortable about doing it. At first she'd been anxious about getting away from where she was but Connor had assured her that there was nothing they could do. So she talked, then she got onto the subject of Ronon.

"Why don't you like him? You don't even know him"

Connor shrugged and sighed, he was suddenly acting like a normal son.

"It's not that I don't like him, it's just...he's not my dad and nobody's ever going to replace my dad so when I see you acting all...loved up with Ronon. I just wish you could be that happy with my dad"

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed

"Your dad and I were wrong from the beginning"

Connor shook his head.

"No you weren't. If you were not meant to be together, I wouldn't have been conceived."

Elizabeth shook her head slightly and smiled.

"Your dad...I still have feelings for him...but...I love Ronon"

Connor nodded slowly

"Yeah, I kinda knew that"

Elizabeth rubbed her tired eyes. She didn't know how long she'd been there but she was so tired.

She was about to continue talking when Connor stood and looked up.

"Connor?"

Connor swallowed hard and turned to her

"I'm being called back, something's happening. I'll try and come back as soon as I can."

Connor changed back into the blinding light he'd been originally and flew though the fire and out of sight and leaving Elizabeth all alone.

* * *

30 Minutes later

**Commian **

The Stargate activated and two cloaked Jumpers flew through. Each Jumper contained a strike team. The mission was sounded simple, but they all knew in reality they all knew it could be dangerous. They had no idea how many Jaffa there were, they had no idea if they had ships. They were essentially going in blind. Lorne had wanted to go but he knew he couldn't and it killed him, watching a strike team leave Atlantis and knowing he should be with them.

Once the two teams were on land they met up with Bates' team. They all knew they didn't have long to get in position and so, quickly Bates gave them orders. Ten minutes later all the team members were in position, Bates was positioned next to a young Marine.

"Sir?"

Bates turned to him

"Yes Lieutenant"

The young Marine walked a little closer to Bates

"Major Lorne asked me to give you something"

The young Marine dug in his pockets and took out a necklace, a St Christopher.

"He's said it's for luck"

Bates nodded and took the necklace from him. He ran his thumb over it for a second before looking back at the Marine.

"Thank you"

The Marine nodded and went back to his post. Bates was not a superstitious man but he knew Lorne was and this once, he was going to respect that. Carefully Bates put the necklace around his neck and let it sit next to his tags. Briefly he closed his eyes before opening them and snapping back into his normal persona and getting back into position.

It didn't take long for the team to be dragged out of their cell. They were taken outside to the steps which stood at the entrance of the temple which were connected to the pyramid. They were forced down onto their knees at they watched Selkhet guide Elizabeth' body out of the doorway and towards her Jaffa. Slowly she took her first primes staff weapon and stood in front of them. She stood facing the villagers who were staring at her.

"These people came to this world, to kill me. They think I didn't know, as a Goddess, I know everything. This is what we do to traitors and people who do not believe in the power which I have."

Selkhet activated her staff weapon and pointed it at John. John stared at him, their eyes locked but it didn't falter her.

Bates watched as he saw the team, including Ford, being dragged out to the steps in front of the temple. He ordered his men into position and watched as Elizabeth lifted the staff weapon.

"Now"

The team sprung from their positions, shooting the Jaffa around Elizabeth. Bates picked up the Wraith stunner which sat next to him on the ground and fire it at Elizabeth. He hit her once, but it didn't knock her down, he fired it again. This time he saw her drop to her knees, dropping the staff weapon in the process. When he was sure she was down he grab the tranquilliser gun from his leg strap and ran forward towards her, when he was near enough he shot the tranquilliser dart at her. Carson had given him a dosage that he sat could knock out an horse, he just hoped it would be enough to knock out Elizabeth. As the dart pierced Elizabeth's side she fell from her knees to her stomach. Around him half the team were trying to get John, Ronon and the others to the Puddle Jumpers while the others were laying down cover fire.

Bates ordered the other Marines to grab Elizabeth and head back to the Jumper as he covered them. He was about to head back himself when he felt something sharp hit his back. Bates fell to the floor in pain. His breathing quickened as the pain soured through him. Tears formed in his eyes, he didn't want to die here. Not here and not alone.

* * *

One day later

**Atlantis **

Bates opened his eyes slowly to see the infirmary lights. They were bright and he often wondered why nobody complained about their brightness. He wondered what had happened to the sharp pain in his back, it took him a while to realise that he'd probably been given pain killers, for that he was grateful. He was about to close his eyes again when he felt a hand on his arm.

"How you feeling?"

Bates turned his head slightly to see Lorne sitting in the chair next to his bed. Bates smiled slightly

"Hey. I can't feel a thing. It must be the pain killers"

Lorne nodded

"Yeah, Beckett gave you more then the required amount, you were in a lot of pain"

Bates nodded, he could understand being in a lot of pain. After all, a staff weapon blast hurt like hell according to reports he'd read. Bates suddenly remembered something.

"The team did they..."

"They all got off the planet okay. Ford ran before we could stop him, we don't know where he is. We have Weir on the Alpha site locked up. The rest of the team are fine"

Bates closed his eyes and smiled. Since his run in with the Wraith in Atlantis over a year ago, Bates had changed dramatically. He still tried to keep to the rules and regulations but he knew that out here, cut off from the Joint chiefs and Court marshal's, there were some times when the rules could be bent. There were some times when following your commanding officer was not the right option and he'd discover that sometimes you just have to trust a Alien leader, even if your instinct tells you not too. Bates had grown. He'd grown into someone quite likeable and that was easy to see, especially though his close friendship with Lorne.

Bates rubbed his neck and remembered the St Christopher that was there. He picked it up and looked at it.

"Thanks for the good luck charm"

Lorne cringed slightly, it seemed really juvenile to believe in things like luck.

"It wasn't so lucky for you"

Bates smiled slightly

"I'm alive, aren't I? That's lucky"

Lorne nodded in agreement

"I guess so"

Bates moved his hands to remove the chain and give it back to Lorne when he stopped him.

"No, you keep it. You could use a bit of good luck"

Bates nodded and looked at Lorne briefly before staring back at the ceiling. The two sat in silence for a little while until Lorne put his hand back on Bates' arm.

"I should get going I've got some stuff to do"

Bates turned to him and nodded

"See you"

Lorne stood up and walked a few footsteps away before turning back

"Get well soon"

**

* * *

Alpha site **

Ronon hadn't stepped foot into the secured area where Elizabeth was being kept. According to John, Selkhet was using every trick in the book to get him to release her. He wasn't buying any of it though. He knew the only way to get Elizabeth back was to find the Tok'ra. Even though he'd not seen Elizabeth though, he'd been on the Alpha site. He didn't know why he'd stayed there but he felt he should, for her.

But now, now he was standing outside the secure area, his hand on the door ready to push it open. He didn't know what to expect, except for the guards on duty and John, nobody had seen her. Nobody had wanted to, they all knew how manipulative Selkhet could be and none of them wanted to go through that, not that Ronon could blame them.

Slowly Ronon pushed forward the door and stepped into the room. His vision fell straight onto the cell she was being kept in. She was sat with her back facing him. She wasn't moving, she wasn't doing anything. She was just sat and yet, he was sure she knew he was there. She had this ability of being able to tell if he was there and sure enough, she knew.

"You've finally come to see her."

He watched as she stood up, turned around and walked towards the bars. She gripped onto the bars lightly and smiled in a way which was all Elizabeth.

"I must admit, I'm glad it's you this time...and not Sheppard. She misses seeing you and that of course as an effect on me, because I start to feel it. As much as I try and suppress it."

He didn't want to believe, he knew she was trying to trick and yet, part of him wanted to believe it was true. Wanted to believe that she could actually feel how Elizabeth was feeling. Ronon took a small step back from her and shook his head.

"I'm sure you want me to believe that, but I don't"

Selkhet moved back from the bars and sighed.

"She loves you, did you know that? She's crazy about you, she'd do anything for you."

Ronon looked down at the floor, she was using Elizabeth's eyes. She was saying all the right words. She knew how to get to him.

"You're not Elizabeth, you don't know how she feels."

Selkhet moved back to the bars and gave him the killer smile which Elizabeth reserved for him, and only him.

"If you want to believe that"

A moment later Selkhet looked down, her eyes glowed and a moment after that she looked back up. She looked scared and confused as she looked around the cell. After a moment she looked at Ronon, eyes wide open.

"Ronon? What's going on?"

Ronon stepped close to the bars.

"Elizabeth?"

She nodded quickly, she was obviously terrified, her breathing was rapid. Ronon placed his hands on one of hers which was still grasping the bars.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He watched Elizabeth close her eyes in thought.

"I remember being on Atlantis...I remember Carson, I was watching him from the observation room. I don't really remember anything after that. What's happened?"

Ronon kept his hand tightly on hers. He didn't know how to explain it, he didn't really understand it himself.

Ronon was about to call one of the guards over to open the cell when John walked into the room, he'd obviously been alerted by one of the guards.

"Don't even try it Selkhet?"

She looked past Ronon to John before pushing her hands away and walking to the back of the cell. When she turned back round to them, her eyes glowed.

Ronon stepped back from the bars, pretty pissed, before walking out of the room.

John watched Ronon go before staring at Selkhet.

"You're a bitch"

Selkhet smiled at the 'comment'

"Thank you, it's good to know that I have succeeded in crushing him where so many others have failed."

John shot her a glare before walking out of the room after Ronon. Once outside John ran to catch up with Ronon who walking in the direction of the Stargate.

"Ronon"

John jogged a little in front of Ronon and stood in front of him, stopping the taller man in his tracks.

John could tell Ronon was pissed, and he understood why. Ronon was not a man typically swayed by a woman, but Elizabeth could sway him which made him perfect prey for Selkhet and her games.

"Look, what you've got to remember is that it's not Elizabeth. It's that thing inside of her. It's manipulative and it knows how to get to you"

"I know it's not her Sheppard."

John took a step forward so he was standing slightly closer to Ronon. He understood what Ronon was going through, he was going through it too. After all, it sounded like Elizabeth, looked like Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth, despite the Goa'uld's manipulative ways.

"Look I know this is difficult but we're looking. When we find the Tok'ra, all this will be over"

Ronon shook his head, he was obviously still pissed and about to misdirect his anger.

"You don't really think Ford gave us the right address do you? He's playing with us, we should be spending our time trying to get that 'thing' out of her not wasting time trying to find people who aren't there."

John looked down at the floor slightly before looking back up at him.

"Ronon...I trust what Ford told us, he was always loyal to Elizabeth...he wouldn't want to see her hurt."

Ronon closed his eyes for a minute before opening them and looking at John.

"I hope that's true, because if we can't save her...the next time we see Ford won't be pleasant"

TBC...


	11. Chapter 11

**Atlantis **

Two months later

It had taken them two months. Two months of searching a desert planet and then trying to convince the Tok'ra on that planet that they were not the enemy. Eventually the Tok'ra had agreed to see Elizabeth and remove the Goa'uld from her.

Elizabeth had been laying awoke in her private room in the infirmary for about twenty minutes. Elizabeth was feeling, at best, crappy. There were chemicals left over from Selkhet which were still flowing through her system. Making her feel worse with sickness then she was during through her pregnancy.

Carson had kept all visitors away on Elizabeth's request. She didn't want to see anyone. She was still feeling guilty about what Selkhet had done and said to her team. She just wanted some time alone, some time to work through things. Times to work out what she had seen during her incapacitation.

_**Unknown**_

_Elizabeth was slightly annoyed that Connor had ages ago and he'd not been back. She's lost track of time, she didn't know how long she'd gone. It could have been hours, days. She just wasn't sure. Luckily Connor had somehow kept the fire going for her so it was warm, light and she could move around...she figured the fire must have something to do with her ability to stand up and move. She didn't know why. _

_Elizabeth slid to the floor and sat down. She rubbed her hand across her forehead and sighed. A few moments later a blinding light filled the room and slid down next to her. A moment later the light formed into Connor. The first thing Elizabeth saw was the smile on Connors face. _

"_Hey, sorry I've been gone so long. Something happened and the others needed help, I didn't realise it would take so long."_

_Elizabeth nodded slowly _

"_It's okay, what happened?"_

_Connor shook his head and stood up. _

"_I can't discuss it. What I can tell you is that it was important"_

_Elizabeth nodded and smiled at him. _

"_How long were you gone?"_

_Connor shrugged a little _

"_Time moves differently here. Out there I was gone...quite a while...here, I was only gone a few days."_

"_How long is quite a while?"_

_Connor started to mumble that it wasn't important but Elizabeth cut him off with a glare_

"_Connor!"_

_Connor winced and sighed_

"_...months"_

_Elizabeth edged closer to her son_

"_Sorry how long? I didn't quite hear you"_

_Connor took a deep breath and sighed_

"_Two months"_

_Elizabeth tried to say something but she couldn't, the sound got stuck in her throat. Connor could see this, so decided to try and save himself. _

"_Well, you don't really know what happened? And I haven't told you because I'm not supposed to, but...you remember being in the observation room, right? And then Ronon calling you over the radio?"_

_Elizabeth nodded slowly._

"_I remember, Sumner said something about my body being invaded. He never said by what"_

_Connor nodded _

"_It was a Goa'uld and she's still there."_

_Elizabeth eyes opened wide _

"_A Goa'uld, are you sure?"_

_Connor nodded_

"_It was in the Wraith. When they killed it the Goa'uld had to find a new host in order to survive. The first person it found was you. The last two months Dad and the team have been trying to find the Tok'ra on a planet. The address was given to them by Ford. I guess...he was always loyal to you and when he found out that you were trouble he...he searched high and low for the address to the Tok'ra outpost. He gave the address to the team and they've been searching. It's not been successful so me and the others have been...sliding them into the right direction without the tight asses finding out."_

_Elizabeth nodded slowly _

"_So... have they found the Tok'ra?"_

_Connor nodded and smiled slightly. _

"_Yeah, they found the Tok'ra"_

_Elizabeth smiled before loosing all feeling in her legs and slumping down to the floor. She looked up at Connor who dropped to her side wearing a reassuring smile. _

"_Don't worry, you're going to be okay. The Goa'uld is being removed. You're slipping out of this place"_

_Elizabeth nodded, the rest of her body slumping down to the ground. Her head flopping to one side._

"_What about you? Where will you go?"_

_Connor smiled sadly._

"_I'll be watching over you...and Dad. And all of them...but I can't interact with you. As much as I want to, I won't be able to."_

_Elizabeth tried to nod but couldn't as her soul felt like it was being ripped from her body. _

She'd seen her son. Her Connor. He was beautiful and there was one person who needed to know that.

Elizabeth hit a small button which sat on her bedside table and a few moments later Carson walked in. He smiled and stepped over to her.

"What can I do for you love?"

"Could you please contact Colonel Sheppard? I need to speak with him"

Carson nodded and tapped his radio

"Just ask him to come to the infirmary, don't tell him I want to see him"

Carson nodded slowly, slightly confused but complied to the request all the same. Elizabeth then asked Carson to step out of the room and send John in when he arrived.

Elizabeth sat in silence trying to figure out how to tell John that she'd seen their child.

That time passed quickly and before she knew it John entered the room smiling slightly.

"Hey, how you feeling?"

Elizabeth nodded and returned him smile.

"Okay, I guess. I'm still trying to figure through some things"

John nodded before taking a seat next to Elizabeth's bed.

"So, Carson just sent me in here. Said you wanted to see me. What's the problem?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"There's no problem it's just...something happened to me when Selkhet was in control of my body. I don't remember anything about Selkhet taking over my body, you know like Caldwell did. I was somewhere...like limbo. Between life and death and...I was visited. I know this sounds crazy but Sumner and Peter visited me"

John rubbed his hand across his forehead. He was slightly sceptical but figured that Elizabeth could have thought that she was seeing things. Especially if Selkhet was releasing hallucinogenic chemicals into her brain, which was entirety possible.

Elizabeth saw the look on his face but carried on.

"Sumner was...I don't know...trying to help me but Peter...Peter had changed so much. He tried to kill me but someone saved me. John, his name was Connor he was in is early twenties. John I'm going to tell you something and please don't...don't freak out on me when I tell you this"

John nodded slowly, wondering what was going on.

"This man, Connor...he was...he was our son"

John looked blankly at her

"What do you mean?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, allowing just a few tears to fall from her eyes.

"He was our son John. Our baby. The baby I lost"

John stood up and turned away from her. He shook his head and Elizabeth thought she could see tears in his eyes.

"No, no. You lost the baby over a year ago and if you hadn't he'd only be eight months..." John's voice cracked when he said that "...he'd only been eight months old Elizabeth"

Elizabeth knew how John felt about her loosing the baby. She remembered how he moped about on the day she should have given birth. He'd thought of the baby as a way of changing himself of changing his attitudes...because he wanted to make his baby proud of him.

"John is true. He looked so much like you."

John turned to Elizabeth and sighed

"He's dead Elizabeth. It was your mind playing tricks on you..."

"...He was an Ancient. A group of rouge Ancients took him because he was your son, they sped up his growth and..."

"No Elizabeth!"

John's voice shook the room. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think of the Ancients screwing around with his family, screwing around with the people he loved.

Elizabeth slid down into her bed and let the tears which were formed in her fall down her cheeks. She needed John to believe her, she needed his help to understand it, but it seemed like he wouldn't be able to.

John left the room as quickly as he could. He didn't know what the hell was wrong with Elizabeth. Part of him wondered whether or not Selkhet was still in Elizabeth and that's why she was saying all that stuff. Another part of him wondered if it was just the chemical's making their way through her brain and a small part, a tiny part, wondered if she was actually telling the truth. Wondered if she had actually seen their son, all grown up.

He wanted to know so desperately if their son could still be out there somewhere. Alive and healthy.

John cursed himself and spun on his heel and walked back into Elizabeth's private room.

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth looked up at him and pushed away the tears which stained her cheeks.

"...how can you be sure? How can you be sure it was our son?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"I can't but John...John he was beautiful and he was so sweet and caring. He had your hair but it was my colour. He had your ears. John you'd have loved him. I did, I loved him so much. I love him so much."

John walked over to Elizabeth and sat on the bed next to her. He stared in her eyes and saw an honestly. She was telling the truth, or what she thought was the truth and he had to trust that instinct.

"I...I want to believe you. You have no idea how much I wanted our son to live but...I don't like the idea of the Ancients playing God, especially with my family."

Elizabeth placed her hand on his.

"John, they saved our son. He's out there somewhere and we have to believe that"

John nodded, leant forward and kissed Elizabeth delicately on the cheek. He then placed his cheek onto hers, his stubble grazing her slightly but it felt good. It felt familiar. John placed another kiss on her cheek before pulling away from her.

"Ronon wants to see you. You should let him see you"

Elizabeth nodded slowly as John rose from the bed. The two looked at each other one last time, their eyes locking until John pulled away and left the room.

It didn't take long for Ronon to come into the room and wrap his arms around Elizabeth. Elizabeth sighed deeply at this action. He'd missed her, whatever she'd done as Selkhet couldn't be that bad, he didn't seem to hate her.

Ronon pulled away and cupped her cheek. He leant in and kissed her deeply. Yep he'd missed her.

Ronon pulled his hands away from her as he sat on the bed next to her. His placed his hand on her leg and smiled slightly at her.

"How are you feeling?"

Elizabeth smiled slightly, the chemicals were still flowing through her body, she was feeling crappy and had just had a moment with John with had left her feeling very guilty, so she did the only thing she could. She lied.

"I'm okay."

Ronon nodded, his hand slid his hand up her leg to her thigh and rubbed it in a circular motion. It was comforting to Elizabeth, she liked it and Ronon knew that. Elizabeth dropped her head onto the wall behind her and smiled before taking Ronon's hand and dragging him to lay down next to her. Ronon complied as Elizabeth shifted to make room for him. Ronon placed one arm around her shoulders and kept his other hand on her thigh. His rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed.

Ronon closed his eyes, treasuring the feeling of Elizabeth laying next to him once again. He'd missed that the last two months. All he'd received from her the past two months was baiting and manipulation. She'd made his life a living hell but he knew it wasn't her, and that was what he tried to hold on to. He didn't want to think that there may have been some truth to what Selket said, because that hurt him too much.

Two Months later

**Kelow**

Tears filled in Teyla's eyes as she looked around the planet which she once considered her second home. It had been destroyed, completely destroyed. The sky was a light brown colour which matched the colour of the ground underneath their feet.

Teyla pushed back the tears and caught up with the team. They walked for a few moments looking around. They wondered if it had been a Wraith attack as they quickly discovered that there was no one around. John was about to suggest heading back to Atlantis when Ronon spotted something and called them over to where he was bent down. The team rushed over and saw what Ronon was looking at. Teyla closed her eyes as she saw what was there. It was a man, he was dead. She took a moment to look over his wounds. He had a gash on his head that looked deep enough to be the cause of death. If it had been the Wraith it was possible that he had been killed during all the panic.

John stood back up and sighed. He was about to suggest that they head back to Atlantis when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned round quickly, his gun raised. When he saw clearly what was there he lowered his gun. It was a young blonde woman, she was dressed in ripped clothes. She had cuts and bruises on her face which was covered in dirt. She looked a wreak. Slowly John started to walk towards her but that only caused her to cry out in fear and try and run away from him. She only managed a few feet before collapsing on the floor. John rushed over to her and found her unconscious. John checked her pulse, it was erratic. Quickly John called over Ronon who lifted the woman in his arms. He was surprised by how light she was.

A few minutes later they were back at the Stargate and Teyla was dialling Atlantis. The Stargate activated and John radioed Elizabeth telling her that they had a medical emergency. He heard Elizabeth ask Chuck to call a medical team to the 'Gate room before the team stepped through the Stargate.

**Atlantis **

Elizabeth rushed down into the 'Gate room, John hadn't specified the medical emergency, she just hoped it wasn't serious.

A moment later John, Rodney and Ronon walk through the Stargate. When she saw Ronon carrying someone she instantly was filled with despair until she got closer and saw that it wasn't Teyla. Elizabeth stepped closer to them and took a good look at the woman. She looked so beaten down that it tore Elizabeth heart in two. She didn't even know this woman but there was something about her, something which Elizabeth found herself drawn to...a connection.

The woman opened her eyes and was about to fight against Ronon's grip when she saw Elizabeth. Something in her eyes made the woman trust her. She didn't know what it was, after all she should be afraid but she wasn't. Something in the other woman's eyes made her trust her.

The two women looked at each other, their eyes locked. Elizabeth still listened John who was who was now stood at her side, explaining what they had found, she still nodded in the appropriate places but at the moment, this woman had her attention. John would just have to wait.

A moment later Carson and a medical team came into the room and that finally broke Elizabeth out of the woman's gaze as she turned to him.

"Carson take her down to the infirmary please. Check her over"

Carson nodded and motioned for Ronon to put her on the gurney. Ronon did so and the woman was about to get up and try and run away but Elizabeth came to her side and placed her hand on her shoulder lightly.

"You'll be okay. I'll come with you...if you want"

The woman nodded slowly. Elizabeth smiled and turned to Carson who nodded and began to wheel the woman down to the infirmary with Elizabeth in tow.

Ronon waited a minute before running after them, he quickly touched Elizabeth arm and stopped her. He walked round so she could see him before sighing.

"You know something you're not telling us, what is it?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes

"That woman as been through hell, look at her. At the minute she needs a ally, someone she can trust"

With that Elizabeth side stepped around Ronon and walked down the corridor to catch up with the medical team.

Several Hours later 

Elizabeth stood in the infirmary, waiting. When Carson had tried to examine the woman she had started to go crazy, shouting, screaming. Carson, acting quickly, called over Dr Murry but the woman still didn't calm down. In the end it had been down to Elizabeth to calm down the woman. When she had finally calmed her down Elizabeth walked pass Dr Murry and whispered two words which had made Murry tense but she continued none the less.

Elizabeth was stood in Carson's office, looking out across the infirmary across to the private room which stood only a few feet away. She saw Murry emerge from the private room and walked up to the office. She opened the door and stepped in, simple presented Elizabeth with her notes. Elizabeth took them slowly and looked over them. She closed her eyes at bits before opening them and reading on.

"You were right. How did you know?"

Elizabeth looked up from the notes and sighed.

"I just did"

Elizabeth handed the notes back to Murry and left the office. She walked over to the private room, she was about to walk in but something stopped her. A buried memory, something she'd tried to forget about. Elizabeth sighed and walked away from the room and out of the infirmary.

Ronon, Teyla, John and Rodney sat in the briefing room waiting for Elizabeth. It was an unwritten rule that they would brief Elizabeth within the first few hours since coming back from a planet but she wasn't there. They'd been waiting for her, they knew she'd been in the infirmary but figured that it should have only taken a few hours, plus Elizabeth had requested a briefing as early as possible. They'd actually told her that they were ready for a briefing while they'd been in the infirmary, she'd told them that she would join them in a moment but she still wasn't there.

John sighed, he couldn't ask his team to wait forever, he sat up from his slouching position.

"Listen Guys, why don't you go get some rest and we'll do the briefing later. She obviously got caught up in something. The team nodded and stood up. Rodney and Teyla left but Ronon waited and walked over to John. Both men had the same questions.

"Did you see that thing that past between them?"

John nodded slowly, remaining seated

"Yeah I saw it, and in the infirmary just after you left that woman went crazy when Carson tried to examine her, only Elizabeth could calm her down."

Ronon sat down next to John and sighed

"What do you think? What's going on?"

John shook his head

"I don't know, you know more about her than me."

Ronon shook his head slowly and looked down.

"She doesn't like talking about herself. It's as if she's trying to hide something. I thought...I don't know...the two of you are still close, I thought she might have said something to you."

John shook his head

"She's only ever talked about her dad."

Ronon nodded in agreement, he'd only heard about her dad and Simon. He knew nothing else about her or her life on Earth.

It hadn't taken long for Elizabeth to get to her quarters, get what she needed, and get back to the infirmary. She walked passed Carson who stopped her quickly.

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth turned round and smiled slightly

"What can I do for you Carson?"

Carson took her arm and led her off to the side of the infirmary. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"Julianne told me what she found. Elizabeth I don't know if seeing her is a good idea. She should be talking to Kate about this"

Elizabeth shook her head quickly

"No, I have to do this Carson"

Carson placed his hand back on her arm

"Lass, I know what you've been through and I'm telling you it's not a good idea"

Elizabeth shook her head

"Carson you know what happened. You know she'll need someone. Just look at her, she won't let anyone else near her. I have to do this"

Carson closed his eyes and sighed

"Aye, alright but..."

Elizabeth nodded and cut him off

"I know. I'll be fine"

Elizabeth walked away from Carson and into the private room.

Elizabeth walked into the private room to see the woman on the bed, he legs pulled up to her chest. She looked up when she heard the door open. She tensed until she saw Elizabeth. Elizabeth put what she had in her hands on a chair near the bed.

"I brought you some fresh clothes. It helps...mildly"

The woman nodded and slid off the bed and picked up the clothes.

"I'm Tia. My name's Tia."

Elizabeth nodded slowly and smiled

"I'm Elizabeth."

Tia nodded and walked across to the part of the room which was out of view and got changed. She was in pain, despite the medication she'd been given. Some pains were hard to get rid off. Elizabeth could hear the slight gasps of pain and tried to ignore them but she knew what they were like. She'd felt them herself. A few moments later Tia stepped back into Elizabeth's view freshly changed.

She was a very pretty young woman and for the first time Elizabeth realised that it was possible that this girl may only be in her teens.

"How old are you?"

Tia sat back on the bed and sighed

"18"

Elizabeth closed her eyes tightly and gritted her teeth. Eighteen was no age, she was still a child.

Elizabeth took a moment before walking over and sitting next to her.

"Tell me what happened Tia? And tell me the truth, because I'll know if you don't"

Tia sighed and started to play with the hem of the shirt Elizabeth had given to her.

"The Wraith attacked our planet about four months ago. Nearly everyone was taken. Only a few of us survived, that we know of. Mostly men. Only a few women. I was one of those woman. The men became very...dangerous"

Tia cut off and took a second to wipe a few tears from her eyes.

"At first, we were okay. We looked after each other but then the men suggested that we...rebuild our population. Some of the women were...two of them were my age, maybe a bit younger, and the two other women were almost at the end of their birthing phase..."

Her sobs became more violent, Elizabeth was about to suggest that they save it for a later time but Tia carried on, she knew that she might not be able to talk about it if she waited.

"...We knew we had to rebuild the population but...we decided to think about it but according to the men we took too long and as a demonstration the leader killed the oldest woman. I had known him by whole life but I never thought he was violent but I saw him kill her without regret or remorse. Over the next two months two more women perished, the the two oldest. We were kept prisoner, without food and water for days at a time...so we would be too weak to fight them off when they came to...r...rape us. The youngest one...Liberti...killed herself. She got hold of a knife and slit her throat. When the men returned from a hunting trip they were...angry...she was pregnant and she feared if it was a girl she would be subjected to what we were and if it was a boy, she worried he would turn into it's father. I was on my own for a month, the men searched the planet for other women. I heard something which suggested that the men they found were killed. When your team found me...that day one of the men had been left with me. He had been injured on their last trip...he...he..."

She didn't want to say it and so Elizabeth didn't make her she just nodded and asked her to move on to what had happened.

"...after he was finished...I just felt so angry. I didn't know what to do. I grabbed something hard and heavy and followed him outside. I hit him. Over and over again until he stopped moving. I...I was scared. I didn't mean to kill him. I was going to do something, run away but I saw your team and I hid."

Elizabeth walked slowly over to the bed and sat down next to her. Elizabeth gently placed her hand on Tia's shoulder. She rubbed her shoulder softly.

"I thought they'd hurt me as well but they didn't. They were..."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, understanding what Tia had seen in her team.

"I understand"

Elizabeth removed her hand and stood up. She looked at Tia.

"We've set aside some quarters for you. If you'd like to get some rest"

Tia shook her head quickly

"I don't think I could sleep. Everytime I close my eyes...I see them. I don't think I could..."

Elizabeth nodded quickly and smiled.

"How about I stay with you? Make sure you're okay"

Tia smiled and nodded.

"I would appreciate that. It would make me feel more comfortable to know someone was looking out for me"

Elizabeth nodded again and opened the door back into the infirmary. She stepped out of the room and waited for Tia to join her.

One week Later

"You've been avoiding me Elizabeth"

The corridor was very quite so Elizabeth heard the voice perfectly clear. Slowly she turned round to see Kate Heightmeyer staring at her, she was looking quite pissed off and it caused Elizabeth to bite the inside of her lip.

Truth was she had been trying to avoid Kate. She couldn't do with Kate's throwing weird and wonderful theories at her because she knew exactly what she was going to say.

"I'm a little busy Kate, could we talk about this later?"

Kate shook her head.

"I've talked to Carson. He's worried about you. I've talked to John and Ronon, they're worried about you. Elizabeth you are worrying people. Now Carson and I know why that is and we've agreed that you need to talk about it "

Elizabeth changed her posture and stood in a much more aggressive pose.

"And I don't get a say? It's my business Kate, nobody else's."

"What about John? What about Ronon?"

Elizabeth shook her head

"I told John what he needed to know but he didn't need to know everything. And Ronon...I'll tell him in my own time"

Kate touched her hand and rubbed it.

"Elizabeth. You've never discussed it, never even tried. All I know, all Carson knows...it's that it happened."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and leant against the wall behind her.

"I never talked about what happened. I never wanted to. I dealt with it but the way I dealt with it was through not talking about it. Maybe it wasn't healthy but it was what I chose"

Kate kept hold of Elizabeth's hand and sighed.

"Whenever you're ready to talk about it. I'll be here"

John and Ronon were worried about Elizabeth. For the past week she'd been distant. John wouldn't have really noticed if Ronon hadn't pointed it out to him and Ronon wouldn't have pointed it out to him if he wasn't worried...but he was. For about five nights Elizabeth had either slept in her own room or stayed so far away from Ronon that she might as well as slept in her own room anyway.

They'd both tried talking to her but she just brushed them off saying that she was fine and had work to do.

They both knew that it had something to do with Tia. She'd been spending so much time with her, something terrible had obviously happened to her and Elizabeth seemed to be the only who she could trust. The two had grown close in such a short amount of time but Ronon, even though he knew it was rather selfish, wanted Elizabeth back. He wanted her to be the way she'd been before they found Tia.

3 Weeks Later

Elizabeth sat opposite Kate. Tears were still forming in her eyes and her face was still red from crying. She couldn't believe Tia did it, even though she'd seen it. She'd been there when Tia jumped off the edge of the pier into the ocean below. She hadn't been able to cope. Elizabeth knew about the nightmares but she thought they were working through it together, obviously she was wrong.

Kate sat watching Elizabeth. When she heard about Tia's death she'd been worried about the effect it would have on Elizabeth. When she heard Elizabeth had been there she ordered her to come and see her straight away. They'd been sat in Kate's office for nearly an hour but Elizabeth seemed reluctant to say anything about herself, all she talked about was how Tia had felt towards the end. The shame, the pain, the feeling of constant distrust of those around her. Elizabeth had tried to talk her down, tried to convince her that it didn't have to end like that but she wouldn't listen. All she'd said was that Elizabeth would eventually understand and after she'd talked to Carson she finally did understand. Tia had gone to Carson only a few days before, she'd been feeling sick. She knew what she feared and Carson had confirmed it.

"She was pregnant. She was carrying the child of one of those bastards. She didn't even tell me, Carson had to."

Kate nodded slowly.

"Is that why she killed herself?"

Elizabeth shrugged slightly.

"I wouldn't know. It's possible"

Kate sighed slightly and handed Elizabeth another tissue.

"Elizabeth. Are you ready to talk about it?"

Elizabeth didn't have to ask what 'it' was. She knew. Slowly she nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'd just turned seventeen. I was in high school. I was a pretty good student. I was getting As and Bs in every subject, except Physics. I was failing Physics. It was about four months after my mother died and all my teachers knew how that had effected me and were all really nice about it but I tried to not let it effect me, but in Physics. I guess, for me, held such a big connection to my mothers death because it was during that when I found out that she'd died, so basically I sat in that room wondering if someone was going to come in and tell me that my father had died or something like that. My Physics teacher understood that and he offered to help me..."

Kate quickly jotted something down. She was very interested in how Elizabeth didn't refer to the teacher by name.

"...He offered to give me private tutoring lessons. I...I agreed. I just wanted to get out of the house, everything in there reminded me of my mum. My dad and I were arguing a lot. So, the first few times we met in the library close to school. It was nice. He treated me like an adult, he didn't try and tip-toe around the fact that my mum had died. So for a few months I met up with him. One night it was raining and he offered me a ride home. I trusted him, I really trusted him"

Elizabeth stopped and wiped her eyes. Her voice was cracking with unshed tears.

"I was so stupid to trust him. I knew something was wrong when he driove past the school but...I don't know I just didn't do anything. I was feeling dizzy and I could barely keep my eyes open. I...tried asking him to pull over but he said he was taking me home and that was no reason to worry."

Elizabeth rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"I woke up, I don't know how long afterwards. It was very dark and I didn't know where I was. He was sitting next to me, leering. I tried to unlock the car door but he stopped me. He...he said I was...beautiful and that...that I'd been leading him on. I tried to get away but he said that...I shouldn't tease him if I wasn't going to go all the way. He said my boyfriend James was one lucky son of a bitch and that he didn't deserve to have me. He grabbed me and pushed me into the back-seat of the car. I tried to fight him off but I failed. He..."

Elizabeth cut off, she didn't want to go into details, Kate understand that.

"After I just...sat there...I was in shock or something. He drove me home. I don't even remember the car ride. When he stopped the car he looked round at me...he said I hadn't a chance in hell of passing Physics. I ran out of the car and up to my room. My father was in the living room he came up after me...demanding to know where I'd been. I couldn't answer. I just ran to my bathroom. I showered four times that night, trying to get rid of him. Now I know that was stupid. I'd washed off any physical evidence...there was nothing I could do. It was his word against mine. I went to a clinic a few weeks later, I wanted to get checked over but the doctor, she was more worried about my womb. She did some tests. Obviously they didn't have fabulous technology back then but she could tell that my womb had been damaged. Badly damaged. She said chances of me ever conceiving and carrying a child full term were low. When I got pregnant with Connor...apart from being scared I was so happy because I never thought I'd be able to conceive. But then I remembered what else she had said, about not being able to carry full term but I thought...hell I've gotten pregnant despite the odds, why shouldn't I be able to carry full term...I'd tried putting the whole thing behind me but when I lost Connor it all came back. Everything he did came back to me...he hurt me all over again."

Elizabeth wiped the tears from her face and sighed deeply.

"That's the whole story Kate. All of it. That's why I felt so drawn to Tia. We were both betrayed by people we trusted, people we thought we could relay on. I didn't have anyone who could help me, I didn't want her to go through the same thing."

Kate nodded and stood up, she walked back to her desk and sat on it.

"Didn't you ever tell anyone?"

Elizabeth shook her head and looked down.

"There was no evidence. He was a well respected professor. I was a kid. No cop would have believed me and I didn't want to go through the whole thing of people finding out. I purposely got myself expelled so I could switch schools. I never wanted to see him again. He'd destroyed everything."

Elizabeth stood up and randomly walked to the door. Kate stopped her for a moment

"Elizabeth? What was his name? Your professor, you never said"

Elizabeth stopped at the doorway. She placed one hand against the frame and sighed.

"...Professor...Richards. Professor Michael Richards. You might remember him from the case about five years ago. A young student accused him of rape. He was acquitted. I just...I wonder that if I had gone forward...he may have been found guilty. But I was so scared to. I didn't want to see him...to face him in a court room. I got information about the case...I knew one of the prosecutors...they had such a strong case but in the end the jury couldn't come to a decision. If I'd have testified, maybe...maybe he'd be behind bars now and that poor girl could have got the justice I never did"

TBC...


	12. Chapter 12

Two months later

**Pynoths **

It was no secret to SGA1 that Ronon and Elizabeth had been having problems since Tia's death. Ronon kept wondering if he had done something wrong to make Elizabeth withdraw from him but he couldn't think of anything. He'd tried talking to Elizabeth but she'd brush him off. She had barely let him touch her, he'd tried holding her after Tia's death but she had pushed him away so quickly. He wanted to know what was going on with her but he couldn't find out because she wouldn't let him close anymore.

He'd decided that he needed a break from her, from Atlantis, he couldn't deal with the way she was. When Teyla mentioned that she was going to Pynoths, an ally planet, Ronon asked if he could tag along. Teyla was slightly confused by that but agreed.

Teyla and Ronon were now sat in a bar on the planet, drinking some of the local alcohol. It was much stronger then any of the booze on Earth or the Athosian Moonshine but Ronon needed something strong. Teyla, herself was enjoying more drink then she normally would but she felt like relaxing. The team had been on a lot of missions lately and she hadn't really had any time to herself just to relax and she missed that. She'd also missed spending time like this with Ronon. The two of them used to be so close but during the last year they had drawn apart.

It felt like old times, except they weren't together anymore. Teyla didn't know whether it was the drink but she'd missed not just spending time with him but being with him. She still held feelings for him but she hid them well.

Unsteadily Teyla stood up, almost immediately falling back down. Ronon grabbed her arm and stood up himself. He steadied himself and Teyla followed him to her feet. The two of them didn't look any worse then then people around them, it seemed that the effects of the alcohol effected everyone not just them.

The two of them stumbled towards one of the two rooms which had been set aside for them by the Pynothains representative.

It took Ronon a lot longer then it normally would have to open the door but once he did him and Teyla stepped inside.

Teyla stumbled towards the bed and laid down. Ronon dropped down next to her and sighed. The two just laid next to each other, almost forgetting what had happened the past year.

Teyla sat up slowly, she felt a bit dizzy due to the alcohol she'd consumed. Teyla turned her head slightly but stopped, jerking her head back to it's original position before slowly turning to face Ronon who was still laying on the bed, looking at her with a look she hadn't received from him in nearly a year. She didn't know if it was the alcohol or whether he just wanted to do it but Ronon rose from his position and kissed Teyla.

His lips were soft and inviting. The taste of what they had been drinking filled her mouth once more as she kissed him back. The kiss only lasted a moment. Teyla pulled back and looked at him. She knew it wasn't right for them to be doing this but...but all the arguments in her head were losing a battle to her desire. Slowly Teyla leant back in and kissed Ronon. This time the kiss was harder and Ronon pulled Teyla in towards him, holding her waist as she sat herself on his legs.

This lasted for a while until Ronon turned her around and pushed her down onto the bed. Teyla didn't resist, in fact she made it easier for him. She undid her jacket and dropped it to her side. Ronon's hands slid over her stomach and up to her arms. His hands then ran across her breasts as Teyla did her best to remove his shirt.

* * *

It didn't take very long afterwards for both to realise what they had just done was wrong. Truth be told they knew it was wrong when they were doing it, but they couldn't stop themselves. In a flash Teyla had found her clothes, got changed and left the room as quickly as she could. Teyla walked quickly to her own room which was just down the corridor, near running the last part of the journey.

When she finally reached the room she ran in and dropped onto the bed, burying her head into the pillow and crying hard. The pillow muffled her cries which carried on for nearly an hour. At random intervals she would call Rodney's name and even apologise to him.

After a little while she lifted her head from the pillow and sat against the wall which the bed was up against. She pulled the pillow round and held it close to her chest.

She couldn't believe she'd betrayed Rodney like that, after all she was supposed to love him. All she wanted to do now was shower, wash away the shame. Slowly she slipped off the bed and walked over to the connected bathroom. One thing she loved about the Pynothains was that their plumbing advancements were similar to those on Atlantis.

She turned on the water and removed her clothes. A few moments later she stepped under the spray.

Ronon punched the pillow behind him, cursing himself for being so stupid. Why in the hell didn't he stop it? Why wasn't he able to realise before it happened how wrong it was, instead of after. Ronon quickly put his clothes back on and sat on a chair which was placed near the window. The last place he wanted to be was that bed. Ronon rubbed his forehead hard before punching the wall next to him. He stood up and did it again and again until there was an hole in the wall and his fists were bleeding. He looked at his fists and decided that it was pretty much a fair trade for what he had just done.

Sighing Ronon sat back down on the chair and hit the back of his head against the wall.

**Atlantis **

Elizabeth sat in the mess hall, drinking a glass of milk. It was late so the mess hall was empty and poorly lit but Elizabeth liked it. It meant that nobody could see her and she could be alone. Although there would always be one person who disturbed that and this time it was Kate who came and sat opposite her.

"How are you Elizabeth? We haven't talked"

Elizabeth smiled slightly

"I'm okay. I've just been thinking though...I've really given Ronon a hard time haven't I?"

Kate nodded briefly

"He mention to me, informally, that he felt you were pushing him away."

Elizabeth dropped her head into her hand and sighed.

"I don't mean to, it's just...I don't know, it seems easier to hurt him then deal with my own hurt"

Kate understood that, slowly she stood up.

"You're in danger of loosing him. It doesn't matter how much he loves you...if he thinks that you don't want him, he will move on."

Elizabeth nodded slowly as Kate walked out of the mess hall, the sound of her heals clicking on the marble floor eventually fading and disappearing. Elizabeth stayed where she was for a little while longer, contemplating what to do.

The next day

Ronon and Teyla stepped through the Stargate. They hadn't said one word to each other except for agreeing that they couldn't tell anyone. Ronon had protested saying that he wanted to be honest with Elizabeth but when Teyla had reminded him that Elizabeth wouldn't care how honest he was with her, all she would hear is 'I slept with Teyla' and that would be the end of the two of them, Ronon agreed to keep it silent and never mention it.

When they arrived back on Atlantis the first place Teyla went after the infirmary was Rodney's lab. She watched him from the doorway as he typed on his laptop. His lab was quiet for a change and it was obvious that the experiment he'd stayed on Atlantis to do was over. Teyla walked over to him, Rodney heard her and looked up smiling at her.

"Hey, you're back. Did you have fun?"

Teyla leant towards him and kissed him hard. Rodney was a little taken back but recovered well. The two of them pulled back after a little bit and Teyla looked at him. She couldn't help but feel so guilty about what she had done the night before especially when she looked in his eyes and saw so much trust and love.

"I love you Rodney"

Rodney looked at her slightly concerned. He pulled her down onto a chair opposite his and held her hands.

"Are you okay Teyla?"

Teyla nodded slowly

"I just missed you"

* * *

Ronon hadn't seen Elizabeth yet and that for him was not a problem. He didn't know whether he could face Elizabeth yet and not tell her what happened. He just wanted to be honest with her, he didn't want to lose her.

Ronon sighed and walked through the corridors to his quarters. When he opened the door he was shocked to see Elizabeth sitting on his bed. Ronon swallowed hard as Elizabeth looked up at him smiling.

"Ronon, how was your trip?"

Ronon nodded and dumped his things near the door.

"Yeah...it was...fine. Nothing uneventful."

Elizabeth smiled again and nodded. She stood up and walked over to him slowly, she took his hands and noticed the cuts on his knuckles.

"What happened?"

Ronon shook his head and shrugged

"I punched a wall while training with some marines the other day"

Elizabeth looked sadly down at his hands

"I should have known that"

Elizabeth looked back up at him, dropping his hands.

"I have some things to apologise for Ronon. I've put you through hell the last few months and you didn't deserve it. I was just...I was just upset about Tia and about what happened and I never meant to freeze you out. I'm just so sorry"

Ronon quickly pulled her into a hug to hide his own tears.

"You have nothing to apologise for"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him.

"I do have to apologise. You've been so strong for me and you've stood by me and you didn't have to"

Ronon buried his head into Elizabeth neck, placing kisses along the collarbone. Silently he kept muttering 'forgive me', not that she'd ever know that though.

One week later 

John walked into the gym expecting to see Teyla and Ronon training so he was slightly confused to see Teyla training alone. John checked his watch, nope he wasn't early or late. He walked over to Teyla who seemed in some sort of trance as she trained.

"Teyla?"

Teyla turned round in shock, nearly whacking John over the head with her sparing stick. She wasn't wearing all her usual training gear. She was in a long sleeved t-shirt but she was still in her long skirt with slits in the side to make it easier for her to move.

Teyla dropped her sparring sticks.

"I am sorry Colonel Sheppard. I didn't see you there"

John nodded and took a step back from her.

"Don't worry about it, you didn't do any damage."

John picked up one of the sticks from the floor and spun it in his left hand.

"So where's Ronon. I thought he'd be here"

He saw Teyla tense slightly before looking up at him and smiling.

"I'm not sure where he is"

John nodded and sat down, he wasn't stupid, he knew something had happened.

"Teyla what's wrong? You haven't been yourself for days"

Teyla smiled and shrugged, a little too happily

"Nothing is wrong Colonel"

Teyla was about to pick up her things and leave the gym when John stopped her by grabbing her arm. Teyla turned round slowly and glared at him.

"Let go of me"

John let go of Teyla's arm but not before pulling her back into the gym and making her sit down next to him.

"Talk to me Teyla. What's going on?"

Teyla sighed and looked away from John. Tears formed in her eyes as she closed them.

"When Ronon and I were on Pynoths something happened. Between us"

John sat trying to decipher what she meant by that. He had an idea but he didn't want to jump to conclusions or start throwing about accusations.

"What do you mean by that Teyla?"

Teyla turned to him and sighed

"I think you know what I mean by that"

John shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"What the hell were you thinking Teyla?"

Teyla shook her head sadly

"I wasn't thinking. He wasn't thinking, it just happened. I feel terrible about it and if I could take it back I would but I can't."

Teyla could see that John was getting pissed off.

"What about Elizabeth? What about Rodney? Did you think about the two of them before you...?"

Teyla closed her eyes and looked down, shaking her head

"I didn't even think about Rodney until afterwards and then it was too late"

John stood up and started pacing around the room. Teyla stood up a moment later and sighed

"I have already punished myself accordingly, it's not like I'm getting away with this"

John looked at her in confusion

"What do you mean you've punished yourself?"

Teyla looked down and sighed

"In accordance to Athosian law an act of uncleanliness, such as...what I did...is punished with an act of self harm. It helps us remember that if we do it again...that is how we will be punished. It helps us to associate"

John stepped forward to her

"Self harm, are you kidding me?"

Teyla shook her head and slowly John realised something. In one swift movement he grabbed Teyla's arm and lifted up the sleeves to reveal fresh cuts on her wrist.

"Obviously not. Teyla what were you thinking?"

Teyla pulled her arm away from him and pulled the sleeve back down over her cuts.

"It is my culture John, I will live my life in accordance to it's rules. Not yours"

John nodded slowly and sighed

"Are you going to tell them?"

Teyla shook her head quickly

"I can't. We can't and you can't say anything either. It would cause too many problems. Do not hurt Elizabeth"

John closed his eyes.

"Don't do this to me Teyla, don't make me lie to her"

Teyla walked forward towards him

"I am not asking you too lie Colonel. I am simply asking you not to tell her"

John rubbed his forehead and sighed.

"It doesn't happen again. If I find out that you and Ronon are starting something up again I promise I will tell Elizabeth and Rodney."

Teyla nodded slowly

"Then I have nothing to worry about"

Four Months later

Ronon pulled Elizabeth in closer to him and sighed. The past four months he had been doing all he could to try and make it up to Elizabeth for what he did. So many times he'd come close to telling her the truth but stopped himself, knowing that was Teyla said was true. Elizabeth would never forgive him.

Ronon drew his hand down the soft skin of Elizabeth's arm. He looked down at her, she was sleeping peacefully, her head on his chest. He could feel her breath tickling across his skin and it made him realise how damn lucky he really was.

* * *

They were good at keeping secrets. Maybe it was their military training or maybe it was the fact that they didn't know how people would react, nor did they want to know how people would react. This was their business, why should anyone else be involved? Truth was they knew they were breaking regulations. Although they weren't sure who would be found liable for the trouble they would get into. Lorne was his commanding officer but Bates held more power as head of security. Either way it wasn't like it mattered. They were not on Earth and they couldn't really see John throwing them in the brig, after all he'd have to fight with Elizabeth for that. Lorne was Elizabeth current pet officer so he couldn't see her letting him get in trouble.

Lorne had to admit, it was cute how Bates got so jealous about the amount of time he was spending at Elizabeth's side on the current negotiations.

It didn't take long after Bates nearly died for the two of them to admit that their feelings were not as innocent as they first hoped and thought. They both knew they could get in monstrous amounts of trouble. Bates, at first, was concerned. After all he was a good little Marine who always followed the rules, no matter what they were. He wondered why in the hell he was having feelings like that for another man, not to mention his commanding officer and tried to get rid of them but Lorne...Lorne treated him in a way which nobody else did. The two developed such a close friendship and Bates hoped that could be enough to get rid his feelings but it turned out that Lorne held the same feelings.

When Lorne had first met Bates he'd seen him as a capable officer and was quite sad that they would be loosing such a good officer while he recovered from his Wraith attack on Earth. It hadn't taken long after for Bates to get back to Atlantis after that. During his time away Lorne had heard some things about Bates, not a lot of it good. It was mostly about how he was arrogant. Lorne hadn't wanted to judge the man, after all he didn't know him. So Lorne ignored the comments and got to know him and liked what he had found. It had happened early at first, and then soon he was bombarded by how he felt. He knew it wasn't right but he didn't seem to care. He was more than sure Bates felt the same way but didn't want to approach him about it and he didn't. Not until he almost died, not until that staff weapon almost took Bates away from him.

They remember how it happened. How they finally revealed to truth to each other. It had been a quiet night and after training they decided to go to the mess hall and get some coffee. The two talked and drank coffee for hours before walking back to their rooms. Lorne's room had been first on their stop and the two said their goodbyes. Bates had then walked back to his room taking the long way, and tried to clear his head. When he arrived back at his room he punched in his security code and the light from the hallway revealed Lorne sitting on the bed. Lorne looked up at him, causing Bates to walk into the room. When Bates was in the room and the door shut behind him Lorne stood up. He walked slowly towards him, Bates could tell he was nervous. Bates had thought about talking a step back but didn't, instead he took a step forward towards the other man. The next few things all happened in a flash for both men. Lorne had lifted his arm and placed his hand behind Bates' head and pushed it forward. He met his lips with his own in a desperate, wanting kiss. Bates was shocked and it caused him to tense at first but it didn't take long for him to relax and kiss Lorne back. After a minute Lorne pulled right back from Bates, putting as much distance between the two of them as possible. It had felt weird, not just for Lorne but Bates as well. Lorne had then excused himself and tried to leave the room and Bates was going to let him but he couldn't and ended up stopping him, grabbing his arm and saying one word that made a big difference 'Jamie'. Lorne had slowly looked back round at Bates and before the two knew what had happened they were kissing again.

That had been eight months ago and they didn't regret that move, not yet.

Lorne placed his head down next to Bates' on the pillow. Bates ran his hand on Lorne's back and rubbed it up and down his back. Lorne smiled and sighed contently before sliding his mouth to Bates and kissing him.

He knew he would have to leave soon but was reluctant to do so. Sometimes they'd forgot and woke up late which meant that one of them would have to try and sneak out when it was possible that people would be going through the corridors. It had been surprising that they hadn't been caught leaving each others rooms but at least they weren't having to do any explaining yet.

* * *

Teyla left her quiet quarters and walked the short way to Rodney's lab, she entered to see him working with one of the cute blonde female physicist. She sat on one of the chairs near his laptop and watched the two of them. Since telling John about what happened with Ronon, Teyla had been terrified that John would say something, but he didn't. He'd kept it quiet. She knew he wasn't doing it for her, he was doing it for Elizabeth and Rodney, to protect them. As Teyla sat there watching the man she was supposed to love get hit on by the cute blonde physicist she wanted to tell him the truth, tell him that it had happened but not meant anything but she wasn't sure he would react the way she wanted him to. She wanted him to understand, to be forgiving but she knew he would hate her, he wouldn't forgive her and he wouldn't understand. So she kept quiet, thinking about her life and about them until Rodney turned round and saw her.

"Teyla, what are you doing here?"

He walked towards her and the cute blonde physicist shot her a look which said 'bitch'. Teyla was aware that this physicist had a crush on Rodney and was not a very nice woman when it came to what she wanted. Teyla looked away from the blonde and back to Rodney

"I couldn't sleep. I came to...to see if you were nearly done with your experiment."

Rodney shook his head and turned to his laptop.

"Nope, I've got a lot more data to input."

Teyla shook her head in amusement

"Have you been here all night?"

Rodney nodded quickly, his focus still on his laptop

"I'm going to get some sleep during the day."

Teyla nodded. She loved Rodney and he loved her but since what happened with Ronon she'd felt them drifting apart, maybe because she couldn't deal with what she'd done. Slowly Teyla rose and closed the short distance to Rodney were she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I will see you in the morning."

Rodney turned slightly and placed his lips gently to hers.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Teyla nodded slowly and smiled before leaving his lab.

3 Months later 

Elizabeth untangled herself from Ronon, despite his many sleepy protests and got changed quickly. This had to be a joke. She left her quarters and made her way down to the pier, shocked at what she saw. It wasn't a joke, there was the Daedalus. Elizabeth's eyes were very big and she stood there in utter shock, only being broke out of the musing when Steven Caldwell walked towards her.

"Dr Weir?"

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, still in utter disbelief

"I don't know what to say. I never expected to see you again"

Caldwell nodded in agreement. Elizabeth suggested they go to her office. Obviously she had questions and he had to be brought up to speed about changes in Atlantis.

When they reached her office, Elizabeth sat in her usual spot and Caldwell sat opposite her.

"Well Colonel, this is a pleasant surprise. When did the Stargate project get reinstated?"

Caldwell tilted his head slightly

"Technically the Stargate is still out of use, we have access to her our ships though. We were hoping that you would come back to Earth with us to try and negotiate with the other nations to put Stargate control back in the hands of the American Military"

Elizabeth was slightly confused

"I thought you had a British diplomat with you. Carrie Malone_" _

Caldwell rubbed his forehead and sighed

"I'm sorry to tell you this Elizabeth but Carrie Malone was murdered about five months ago. We haven't found who did it but there were several governments who believed that if she was out of the way, Britain would stop supporting America. We're investigating I promise. We'll find who did it"

Elizabeth dropped her head into her hand and sighed deeply. Carrie was dead, she couldn't believe that the governments of Earth would go to such extremes to stop the American Military having the Stargate.

"They murdered a civilian?"

Caldwell nodded slowly and sighed

"They all deny it but...well we're pretty certain. Dr Jackson was devastated. He and Carrie had formed a...relationship of sorts."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and sighed. Poor Daniel. Elizabeth couldn't help but feel at fault, after all if she had left when requested Carrie might not be dead

"When do you leave?"

Elizabeth knew she had to stop what was going on and if that meant leaving Atlantis she would.

"A few days"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"I'm coming with you then. I want your assurance though that I will be allowed to come back to Atlantis"

Caldwell nodded

"You have my word"

3 Weeks later 

**Earth**

When Ronon had heard that Elizabeth was going back to Earth he told her that he was going with her, he wasn't the only one. Rodney and John had both been asked to go back to Earth for meetings and many other members of the civilian crew had asked to go back to Earth to visit their loved ones for a few days which left Teyla and Lorne in charge of Atlantis. Teyla had been reluctant to be away from Rodney for nearly a month but Rodney was glad that they'd have a bit of time to themselves. Teyla had been very clingy for months now and it was suffocating him. He wasn't used to it.

Elizabeth was actually happy to get back to Earth, she was planning to make some time to see her father up in Chicago.

While on the trip over on the Daedalus Ronon had started a conversation which had left Elizabeth rather confused. Just over a week into the trip it had been Ronon and Elizabeth's two year anniversary and Ronon, after a very nice meal and some alone time, had said some things to Elizabeth which had indicated that he wanted commitment, which on the whole shocked Elizabeth because she'd never seen him as the commitment type. Ronon hadn't mentioned it again but Elizabeth could tell he was still thinking about it.

**SGC **

The Atlantis team were escorted along the corridor to the briefing room of the SGC. Waiting in the briefing room was General Landry, General O'Neill and the Joint Chiefs. The four members of the Atlantis team sat in the places which had been set aside for them. Elizabeth between Jack and Ronon and John between Ronon and Rodney. General Landry was the first one to speak.

"Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard, Dr McKay and...you must be Ronon Dex. Welcome back to the SGC. Dr Weir, let me be the first to extend my deepest sympathises for the loss of Carrie Malone. I understand that the two of you were friends. We are investigating and I promise we will find the people responsible"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and took a breath.

"Thank you, I hope I can finish Carrie's work. I know all she would have wanted to see was this problem resolved"

Ronon looked at Elizabeth sadly. She'd told him about how close she'd been with Carrie and she had ended up crying in his arms for most of the night. But now she was strong, she was here and she was going to end this argument between the different countries.

Two days later

It hadn't taken Elizabeth long to get all the representatives into one room and shout at them for being immature. She had basically told them to work things out or she would make their lives very difficult. She made them sit down and talk it through. Carrie had done all the work, Elizabeth had just finished that work. They finally came to the agreement that the programme would stay in the hands on the American Military with Britain, Russia, China and France each having their own SG team. There were lots of minor details to work out as well but all agreed that the Stargate could start being used again within the month.

Elizabeth was glad it was finally over, it meant she could see her father. Ronon had offered to go with her and Elizabeth was happy to let him but he had come down with a strong case of the flu. Ronon protested that he was fine but that had just caused Elizabeth to laugh slightly. He had a high fever, his skin was sticky with sweat and he was having problems staying awake.

"Ronon, you're ill. You're staying here"

Ronon sighed and hit his head back against the wall behind him. He was ill and he knew it. Elizabeth had never actually seen Ronon ill before so it was quite funny. Elizabeth took a step forward and kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"I'll be back in a few days."

Elizabeth started to pull back when Ronon grabbed her waist and pulled her forward to him. Elizabeth smiled to herself, even when ill he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

Ronon kissed her before suddenly becoming very serious.

"When you get back, we need to talk"

Elizabeth sighed, the last time he got this serious was on the Daedalus when he started talking about commitment.

"Is it about what we were talking about on the Daedalus?"

Ronon nodded slowly and Elizabeth bit the inside of her mouth.

"Okay"

Elizabeth kissed him again before leaving the infirmary. She sighed once she was outside. It wasn't that she didn't love him but commitment was a long way off for her. She'd been with Simon five years before leaving for Atlantis and refused two marriage proposals, which she knew had hurt him deeply. Elizabeth wasn't the commitment type. In all honesty, it scared her. She knew it was silly but she always thought that if she ever got married life would turn boring. But then again Ronon wasn't the type of man to suddenly go boring on her, quite the opposite really. Elizabeth sighed as she walked into her temporary quarters and picked up a small travel bag. She walked along the corridors before bumping into John, who was carrying a travel bag, similar to hers.

"Hey John, where you going?"

John joined her and the two walked to the elevator.

"I'm heading up to Chicago to see my sister"

Elizabeth turned to him in disbelief has she entered the elevator.

"I thought your sister lived in New York?"

John turned to her and cringed. He'd been caught out

"Okay. Ronon asked me to go to Chicago with you. He mentioned you were seeing your Dad and he thought you'd need some support. Given everything"

Elizabeth sighed and looked down at the floor.

"John, I don't need protecting. Surely you two know that"

John nodded

"We do. But Elizabeth tell me honestly that...seeing your Dad...won't that upset you. Given the fact that he might not remember you"

Elizabeth looked up at him and rested against the wall.

"It's not like my Dad's ill. It's just old age. I'd be lying if I said that seeing him try to remember me won't be upsetting but I'm a big girl John. I've gone through it before"

John shrugged and sighed

"I know that. But Ronon...he wants someone with you."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and stepped out of the elevator doors as they opened.

"If you're coming with me, hurry up"

Elizabeth called as she walked away from the elevator. John smiled and picked up his back before jogging to catch her up.

TBC...


	13. Chapter 13

Notes: **Place setting in Bold **Timeline is Underlined _Italics represents anything written/Flashbacks/dreams and Radio transmissions._

24 Hours later 

**Chicago **

John placed his arm lightly around Elizabeth's shoulder and pulled her close to him. Elizabeth didn't resist, John wasn't even sure she realised what he had just done.

Seeing her father had not gone well. He didn't remember her, not at all. One of his nurses had warned her but she needed to see him. He kept saying how he didn't have a daughter and John had seen the look of pain in Elizabeth's eyes when he'd said that. It had devastated her. According to his nurse, her father had had a mild stroke a little over six months ago which had left him with worse memory loss then he'd had before. After about an hour of agonising emotional pain for Elizabeth she'd walked out in tears. John had rushed out after her. He had tried to wipe her tears and hug her, just to show her that he was there for her but she had just pushed away from him and carried on walking.

They were now walking back to the hotel they had booked into earlier that day. He suggested that they do something to take her mind off what had happened but Elizabeth had said she just wanted to sleep.

When they had got back to the hotel it had been a little after lunch time. Elizabeth had gone to straight to her room and John had decided to go and get something to eat. He arrived back at the hotel a little after 2pm and went straight to his room. He laid back on his bed and closed his eyes.

John was woken up four hours later by a knock on the door. John sighed and rolled off the bed. He walked to the door and opened it to see Elizabeth stood there. She looked a little better than she had earlier. Silently John moved away from the door and Elizabeth walked into the room.

"I want to thank you for being there for me today, I know I said I'd be okay but...if you weren't there...I would have felt so much worse. Thank you John"

John smiled and walked towards her. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. Elizabeth placed her head onto his shoulder and sighed.

John couldn't help to realise how much he missed this. Missed being with her and holding her. Part of him wondered why he was letting Ronon lie to her. He didn't know if Ronon loved Elizabeth but what he did know was that he had cheated on her, betrayed her.

Elizabeth pulled away from John and looked up at him. She smiled slightly, and John placed his hand on her cheek. Elizabeth stepped in a little closer to him, this caused John to lower his head and kiss her. Her lips were soft, as were his and before they knew what was happening John was pushing her down onto the bed.

She was kissing him, just as hard as he was kissing him. She was lost in the passion, but it didn't last. As John was undoing her jacket and placing kisses on her neck, Elizabeth remembered one important thing, Ronon.

Elizabeth pushed John away, John stumbled back and looked at her, slightly hurt. Elizabeth got up off the bed and fastened up the jacket. She couldn't believe she had just done, what she was going to do. Ronon had been nothing but loyal and caring to her and how did she repay him. By wanting to have sex with John.

"I'm sorry, that was wrong of me"

Elizabeth started to walk to the door when John grabbed her arm. He couldn't keep it quiet anymore. She was beating herself up inside about betraying Ronon but he'd been the one who had betrayed her first.

Elizabeth looked up at John. Her eyes begging him to let her go, he nearly did, but she deserved to know.

"There's something you need to know Elizabeth. Something Ronon should have told you but didn't. I'm not telling you this because of what just happened. I'm telling you because you need to know"

Elizabeth stared at him, her eyes wide. Confusion clearly written across her face.

"What?"

John closed his eyes and sighed

"Eight months ago...eight months ago...Ronon slept with Teyla"

Elizabeth continued to look at him, the confusion dropping from her face and being replaced by disbelief

"No he didn't. Why would you say that?"

John held both her arms and sighed

"I'm not lying Elizabeth. He did. Teyla told me"

Elizabeth shook her head and laughed

"Then Teyla's lying. She's messing with you"

Even though she was trying to deny it, John could see the tears forming in her eyes. She believed him.

"Please tell me...please tell me you're messing with me"

John almost considered telling her what she wanted to hear. She was standing in front of him and he could see her heart breaking but he couldn't lie to her.

"I'm sorry Elizabeth"

Elizabeth closed her eyes. John saw a few tears fall from underneath her eyelids. John tried to wrap her in his arms but she pushed away from him and opened her eyes. They were ranging, hate and anger replaced the normal look in her eyes.

"Don't touch me."

John took a step forward

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth cut him off sharply

"Don't speak to me again"

Elizabeth stormed out of the room, slamming the door as she left.

John cursed himself. What had he done.

"Damn it"

The Next day 

**SGC **

When John got back to the SGC, he expected Elizabeth to be there. She wasn't. Nobody had heard from her since she left for Chicago. Then came the questions of what happened and why Elizabeth ran off and of course he had to tell them. Ronon was furious. He hadn't known that Teyla had told John, and then he was furious at John for telling Elizabeth, at which point John had said to Ronon that if he hadn't slept with Teyla in the first place he wouldn't have had to tell Elizabeth. Then came the point where Rodney found out, he'd overhead the shouting between Ronon and John. He'd got very angry and ended up smacking Ronon. Ronon knew he'd deserved it and let it go. John had managed to calm down Rodney who had disappeared into his room.

Jack had been in the infirmary with a member of the SGC personal who had been electrocuted by something in the control room when the fight occurred and had heard everything.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for Elizabeth. When he was sure the personal member was going to be okay he had disappeared up to the surface and rang a number which was stored under the memory of his phone.

The phone rang and rang. Eventually it went through to voicemail and Jack sighed.

"Elizabeth, it's Jack. They're worried about you. I won't tell them I know how to contact you if you don't want me to, but give me a ring. Let me know you're okay and where you are."

Jack sighed. Only a few people had the number for the phone Elizabeth had been given, him included. It was obvious none of the others knew. He just hoped she'd phone him. It sounded like she needed someone at the moment.

**Denver **

Elizabeth had heard the phone ring but had decided to ignore it. She didn't want to speak to anyone. After she'd left the hotel, Elizabeth had flown straight back to Colorado and hired a car. She'd decided to drive up to Denver and rent a hotel room for the night. Not that she slept much, she'd had images all night of Ronon and Teyla and it killed her. Eventually she got up and drove around, just trying to clear her head. Now she was outside an house she never thought she'd step foot in again. As she walked to the front door she got more and more nervous, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe he didn't even want to see her. He'd moved on, but she had no-one else. No-one else, but him.

Slowly she knocked on the door and waited. His car, or what she assumed was his car, was sat in the driveway. This wasn't a good idea, what if he had found someone new since his last message. She might not like his old partner turning up. Elizabeth sighed and was about to go back to her car when to door opened.

When he opened the door, Simon did not expect Elizabeth to be standing there, but she was and she was still as beautiful as he remembered but something about her was different. She seemed broken.

"Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth smiled nervously and weakly at him.

"Hey Simon. I'm sorry to just turn up like this but..."

Elizabeth cursed herself as the tears she'd been beating back started to form again. Simon stepped back and led her into the house. He sat her on the couch were she was immediately pounced upon by Sedge.

"She's missed you"

Elizabeth smiled and ran her and across her fur. It was a sad turn of events when the only thing she could trust and rely on was her dog.

A few moments later Simon came back into the living room and placed two cups of coffee onto the table in front of them before taking Sedge into the back yard and walking back to the couch and sitting down next to Elizabeth.

She sipped her coffee as she looked at a picture on the mantel piece.

"She's beautiful Simon. They both are."

On the mantel piece was a woman, about Elizabeth's age, holding a small baby girl. It didn't take Elizabeth long to figure that the woman was Simon's wife and they baby was is daughter.

"How old is she?"

"About three months"

Elizabeth smiled and closed her eyes.

"I have a son. Connor...I had a son. I lost him about...five months into the pregnancy."

Simon placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder gently. He could tell something was very wrong with her, Elizabeth never took trips down memory road. What happened in the past stayed in the past.

"I'm sorry"

Elizabeth shook her head and sighed

"It happened over two years ago. I'm at peace with it now"

Elizabeth took another sip of her coffee.

"I'm not disturbing you am I?"

Simon shook his head quickly

"No, of course not. They're away all weekend and I've got nothing planned"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and looked at the pictures that were around the room. This woman was good for him, in the past Simon hated pictures littering his living room.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

Elizabeth turned to him and sighed

"I shouldn't really be burdening you with this. It's not like you have to be involved in any of my screwed up life anymore"

Simon quickly placed his hand to her cheek.

"Elizabeth, I'm always here for you. You know that"

Elizabeth smiled slightly.

"It seems like you're the only one who is"

"What happened?"

Elizabeth stood up and sighed.

"I want up to Chicago to see my Dad, which was not good by the way. Someone came with me, John, I thought I could trust him. So we went back to our hotel and a few hours later I went to his room to apologise for my behaviour after seeing my dad. One thing led to another and I nearly ended up sleeping with him but I didn't. Because of someone else, someone I love and I thought loved me. Ronon. I thought I could trust him, but then John told me that Ronon had slept with his ex, eight months ago."

Simon sighed and shook his head.

"So this guy John, he's got a thing for you?"

Elizabeth sat back down and sighed

"The baby I lost was his. But we weren't together when I was pregnant he was with someone else. We broke up before I even knew I pregnant."

Simon couldn't believe how complicated Elizabeth's life had got.

"I should have come back to Earth when you asked me too, maybe everything would be different"

Simon hated to see her in pain, he hated to say it, but she seemed to have walked into the situation herself by choosing these guys.

"Elizabeth, why did you choose them? Why did you think they were going to be good enough for you?"

Elizabeth sighed deeply

"I love them. Both of them in my own way. They're both...they make me feel so special...they're both amazing men. John is so smart, he's better than you at maths and I'm not kidding. And Ronon, he's so wise beyond his years. He's only just in his thirties...which yes I know being with a younger man is...not wise but...he's different. I don't see an age attached to him...it's just him"

Simon moved in a bit closer and placed his arm around her. She could be so stupid at times. He knew she'd had a difficult time during her life, her mother dying, her rape (he was one of the few people who knew about that), her dad, now she had a miscarriage and two cheating men to add to that list.

He held her for a moment longer until her phone, which sat in her handbag started to ring again. Elizabeth ignored it for a minute but it kept ringing, Sighing she rummaged through her bag and found the phone. She stood up and walked to the glass windows at the back of the room and answered it sharply.

"What?...Jack, I'm sorry I didn't know it was you"

Simon couldn't hear what was being said on the other side but it seemed that this Jack wasn't one of the people Elizabeth was mad at.

"I don't want to talk to either of them. They're as bad as each other."

Elizabeth was silent for a few moments before answer.

"Rodney knows? How did he take it?...Not surprising I guess... did he hurt him?"

Simon chuckled at that bit, he could hear that Elizabeth had desperately wanted Rodney to have hurt the other guy, he assumed it was Ronon, which he'd hit or attacked.

"Have you talked to him?...If you do tell him...I don't know... tell him I'll talk to him later. Bye Jack"

Elizabeth ended the call and walked back to the couch.

"Rodney found out. Rodney is...he's like a brother to me...he's also the one who's seeing Teyla, the one Ronon slept with."

Simon took a deep breath. These people had weird lives. He wondered if their lives were weird before going to Atlantis.

"I should go. I need to talk to Rodney"

Elizabeth placed her phone back into her back and stood up. Simon stood up with her and walked her back to her car. He kissed her cheek delicately and sighed

"You've got a weird life Elizabeth but just remember who you are and you'll get through it"

Elizabeth nodded and drove away from the house.

**SGC **

It hadn't taken Elizabeth long to get back to the SGC. She knew it wouldn't but she had kind of hoped that it would somehow, take longer then it should have done.

When she got to the SGC she was met by Jack who knew she'd just prefer to see Rodney straight away and avoid John and Ronon.

Once inside the main complex of the SGC where the quarters were, Elizabeth knocked on the door to Rodney's temporary quarters and received no answer. She knew the last thing he'd want to do is see people but she knew that they needed to talk through this with each other, there was nobody else.

Slowly Elizabeth pushed open the door to his quarters. She could see him sat on his bed, his legs propping up his arms. He was staring into space and Elizabeth sighed.

"You were right. You said getting involved with Aliens would end in tears"

Rodney looked round at her, he stared at her for a moment before standing up and walking to her. When he reached her he sighed and wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her cheek on contact.

"Are you okay?"

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and kissed his check delicately in response.

"I'm no worse then you"

The two stood for a few moments just holding each other. Knowing that the other person was just as heartbroken as themselves. Eventually Rodney pulled away from Elizabeth and walked across the room. He sat on the bed and sighed. Elizabeth slowly walked over to his. Sitting down next to him she placed her arm around his shoulders. After a minute or two of silence Rodney finally spoke.

"I just wanna...understand why she did that..." He looked up at Elizabeth "...why they both did that to us"

Elizabeth shrugged slightly. She didn't understand either. Part of her didn't want to know why he'd done it. Eight months ago seemed about the time she'd started to give Ronon the brush off, after all that had happened with Tia, maybe that was the reason. Elizabeth removed her arm from Rodney's shoulder and sighed.

"Eight months ago was about the time Tia killed herself, about the time I started to drift away from Ronon. What if this is my fault? What if I pushed them together?"

Rodney grabbed her chin and turned her face to look at him, his eyes became very serious.

"You are not to blame. You are not at fault"

Elizabeth nodded slowly but she still thought it was possible that she was the cause of the heartache and Rodney could see that. Slowly pulled her back into his arms and held her. He'd seen her like this too many times the last three years. She didn't deserve it, she was a good person with a good heart. Rodney tightened his grip on Elizabeth.

The next day 

**SGC **

Elizabeth's first thought upon waking was, this was not her room. Her next, panicked, thought was 'please let me be fully dressed'. And she was. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. Sleeping with Rodney would have made this situation ten times worse, plus he was like a brother to her and sleeping with him would have been sick. Elizabeth looked round, she was underneath the blankets on the bed and Rodney was asleep on top of the blankets. He obviously also thought that sleeping with each other would have opened a whole new can of worms.

Elizabeth slowly sat up, trying not to wake Rodney but his eyes flickered open.

"I'm already awoke"

Elizabeth nodded and sat up fully and looked at him. Rodney shifted his position, so he was sat next to her. Elizabeth grabbed his hand which sat next to her and held it.

"It wasn't a nightmare was it?"

Rodney shook his head

"Nope, it was real"

Elizabeth nodded and ran her fingers across the knuckles of his hand.

"We'll have to face them sometime."

Rodney sighed and moved slightly closer to Elizabeth, placing his head on her shoulder.

"How about we just stay here forever?"

Elizabeth turned to him and smiled, that thought had crossed her mind as well.

"Imagine what people would say? I can hear the rumours now"

Elizabeth was trying to put a light twist on it but what was going on was a serious problem. She knew some people would just say, take back Ronon and forget that it ever happened, but then would come distrust. The fears about him doing it again. That was something she couldn't do.

"What's easier to live with, rumours about you and me or the gossips talking about those two for the next three months"

Elizabeth half tilted her head in agreement

"You really think they're going to get three months worth of gossip out of this?"

Rodney nodded and breathed deeply

"At least"

Elizabeth cringed, she didn't know if she could live with that but she knew she'd have too. Slowly Elizabeth let go of Rodney's hand and moved away from him, she got out of the bed and turned to him.

"I'm going to get some coffee, you want anything?"

Rodney shook his head.

"No"

Elizabeth nodded and left his room and after talking a short trip to her room to change her clothes Elizabeth made her way up to the mess hall, on the way bumping into one of the two people she didn't want to see.

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth walked past him trying to ignore him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.

"Let me go Ronon"

Ronon shook his head and led her along to a quiet part of the corridor.

"I made a mistake, a huge mistake. I know that and I regret it but please...don't let this destroy what we have."

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief

"You destroyed what we had, eight months ago. You destroyed it. As far as I'm concerned that's when what we had ended, after all, everything after that as been a lie on your part"

Elizabeth tried to push past him but he stopped her.

"Please Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth shook her head and broke out of his grip

"It's over Ronon"

Elizabeth walked past him and walked up to the mess hall.

* * *

Elizabeth had been sat with her coffee for about an hour. It was marginally better then the one on Atlantis but not by much. Eventually Elizabeth pushed it away and started to eat the pancakes but she couldn't stomach them. The first mouthful made her feel sick. Elizabeth pushed them away and sighed. 

A cold and empty feeling was buried underneath her chest. She wanted to rip it out but couldn't, it was there to stay.

The mess hall was very quiet but Elizabeth remembered that normal operations had not started yet, in fact the first team to step through the Stargate would be the Atlantis team for their trip back to Atlantis. One good thing about a quiet mess hall is that there was nobody around to stare, point and whisper. She was thankful for that.

She sat for a few more minutes quietly until one of the doors to the mess hall opened and Daniel Jackson walked in. When he saw her he walked over to the table and sat opposite her.

"I heard what happened. I'm sorry"

Elizabeth shook her head

"You've got nothing to be sorry about Daniel...I heard about Carrie, about you and Carrie. How are you holding up?"

Daniel sighed slightly and shrugged

"I'm okay. It gets a little easier now and again. I'll be fine"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"They'll find who did it"

Daniel shook his head and looked down.

"It was a government, do you really think they'll admit to killing civilian? They're going to get away with it Elizabeth. I've learnt to deal with that"

Elizabeth reached across the table and took his hand.

"Justice will be served. I promise you"

Daniel nodded and stood up. A few moments he came back with some coffee and a plate of pancakes.

He handed one cup of coffee to Elizabeth. He offered her some pancakes but she shook her head.

The two sat in silence for a little while until people started to come into the mess hall. Elizabeth didn't even want to know if they knew about what happened. Elizabeth said her goodbye to Daniel and walked back to her room. She walked in to see John standing there. He'd obviously been waiting for her.

He rushed forward to her and grabbed her hand.

"I know you're mad and I know you don't want to talk to me again but Elizabeth you deserved to know, I didn't tell you because of what had just happened, I told you because I thought you needed to know. You deserved better than a lie."

Elizabeth leant back against the wall and sighed. He had a point and she knew that and the term 'don't shoot the messenger' did come to mind but she couldn't help but be mad with him.

"I know it's not your fault John but...I just don't want to talk to you right now. You knew for eight months and you didn't tell me, can you understand why I'm a little upset. You could have saved Rodney and I eight months of our lives. You didn't. And I'd just seen my dad and I was upset about that."

John nodded

"I know the timing sucked. I know I should have told you earlier but...I couldn't. I didn't want to hurt you but then seeing you...acting so damn loyal to him. I couldn't stand you feeling guilty."

Elizabeth pushed herself off the wall and sighed.

"I'd just like some time to myself, please John"

John nodded and walked towards her. He placed his hand on her arm.

"If you need to talk...or if you want someone to shout at, you know where I am"

Elizabeth nodded and John left her alone.

The next day 

**Atlantis **

The team appeared on the other side of the Stargate, back in Atlantis. Back home. Teyla and Lorne walked down the steps to the Stargate. Teyla walked towards Elizabeth and smiled.

"Dr Weir, it's good to have you back"

Elizabeth glared at her for a moment, daggers flowing from her eyes.

"Major Lorne"

Lorne walked forward towards Elizabeth causing her to look at him and away from Teyla.

"Bring me up to speed please Major"

Elizabeth started to walk up to the control room, followed by Rodney. Lorne was slightly confused but he jogged to catch them up and started to go through what had happened in the city.

Teyla was left confused. She turned to Ronon and John who were still stood by the Stargate.

"What happened?"

John simply walked past Teyla saying two words.

"They know"

John walked out of the room and headed in the direction of the quarters. Teyla turned to Ronon, a look of horror and despair on her face.

"They know?"

Ronon took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"If you hadn't have told Sheppard, they would have never known. This is your fault Teyla"

Ronon walked past her and left the room, heading in the same direction as John had gone only a few moments earlier. Teyla was left standing by herself wondering what would happen next.

* * *

Lorne entered his quarters and got rid of his jacket. He'd heard from a few members of the personal who had gone back to Earth about what happened. Ronon was an idiot. Lorne walked over to closet and changed into some other clothes just as Bates' walked into the room. 

"Did you hear what happened?"

Lorne turned to him and put his jacket on.

"Is this about Ronon, Teyla, Weir and McKay?"

Bates nodded and walked towards him

"I heard. Weir's doing the whole ice queen thing"

Lorne closed the distance between him and Bates. He wrapped his arms around his neck and sighed.

"Can you believe Ronon was that stupid. I mean Weir is hot, why would he cheat on her?"

Bates stared at him.

"Weir is hot? Is there something you're not telling me"

Lorne stared at him, he knew Bates was playing.

"You're not blind are you?"

Bates nodded in agreement and leant forward to kiss him. Lorne ran one of his hands up Bates' head while the other wrapped itself around his waist and pulled him closer. The two stayed like that for a while until Bates' pulled away from Lorne, biting his bottom lip as he did.

"Fine, you may lust over her as much as you want, as long as you remember you're mine"

Lorne smirked mischievously

"I think I can live with that"

* * *

Teyla walked into her quarters to find most of her things which had once been in Rodney's room dumped on her bed. Teyla walked slowly towards the things. On top of them was a picture. A picture she treasured. It was of her and Rodney. Teyla sighed and put it next to her bed on the table. She stared at it for a little bit. That had been before she made what turned out to be the biggest mistake of her life. 

Teyla dropped down on her bed with a sigh. She closed her eyes and allowed a few tears fall from her eyes. He'd made it obvious to her, it was over.

* * *

Elizabeth walked into her room, working the kinks out of her neck. She removed her jacket and dumped it on a chair, she was about to unbutton her shirt when they was a knock on her door. Elizabeth sighed, she really didn't want to see anyone, she was tired and just wanted to sleep. She walked to the door and opened it to see Ronon standing there. Elizabeth tried to close the door but Ronon stopped her and walked into the room. 

"Elizabeth let me just talk to you. I'm sorry...I was drunk, we were both drunk. I know that's not an excuse but...it's true. I'm sorry"

Elizabeth shook her head and walked away from him.

"No, I don't want to hear it. You promised me that you would never hurt me. You lied."

Elizabeth sat down on the bed and closed her eyes. Ronon sat next to her, he wanted to tell her that he loved her but he knew she wouldn't believe him, he knew he had to show her.

Quickly Ronon slipped his lips onto hers and kissed her. Elizabeth tried to back away from him but he wouldn't let her, he just held her tightly and pushed her onto the bed. Elizabeth tried to get away but he wouldn't let her. He placed his whole bodyweight on top of her. He kept his mouth covering hers as he undid the top buttons of her shirt. His mouth left her mouth and dropped onto her neck and chest.

"Get off me Ronon"

Elizabeth used all her force to push him away. Ronon stumbled back away from her, off the bed.

His eyes held genuine apology in them as he looked at her.

"I love you."

Elizabeth fastened up the buttons on her shirt and stood up.

"Please leave me alone Ronon."

Ronon nodded and left the room. Elizabeth dropped onto her bed, tears in her eyes. Several questions were going through her head. Would he have raped her? Of course not this was Ronon for crying out loud, but the fear had been there for her.

Elizabeth stood up and slipped on her jacket, she had someone she needed to talk to.

* * *

Kate sat in her office, typing up her notes from the sessions she'd had that day. They'd only been a few so she was planning on having a quiet night in bed. She was nearly finished with the notes when the door to her office opened and Elizabeth walked in. Kate suddenly saw her plans of a quiet evening crash and burn when she saw the state Elizabeth was in. 

"Kate, do you have a moment?"

Kate nodded and walked down to Elizabeth, leading her to the couch. She could tell that Elizabeth had been crying.

"Elizabeth what's wrong?"

Elizabeth rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"You heard about what happened right?"

Kate nodded slowly, she had been so shocked upon learning that. She always thought Elizabeth and Ronon had a strong relationship, she was obviously wrong.

"Well Ronon just came to see me...He...he tried to apologise and I wouldn't let him. He tried to...I don't want to say he tried to force himself onto me because that's not what it was but...whatever it was, it scared me. It made me scared of him and I've never really been scared of him before."

Kate nodded

"Where you scared because you thought he might rape you?"

Elizabeth shrugged.

"I know he'd never do that but the fear was there. The fear that he might was there"

Kate wrote something down on her notes sheet, that was going to be something else to add to her laptop tonight, before turning back to Elizabeth.

"Tell me, what did it feel like when you found out?"

Elizabeth tilted her head slightly to one side and closed her eyes.

"I actually felt my heart break. I actually felt it shatter into tiny pieces and I just felt empty...empty and numb. I've felt like that ever since... Just to know that he's been lying to me for eight months is...it's hurts so much. About a week ago he was talking about commitment and you know, I was actually considering it. I just feel so stupid now"

TBC...


	14. Chapter 14

The next day

Lorne found himself being flipped onto his back very easily by Bates. Okay this was ridiculous, Lorne had never been flipped by anyone but Teyla, Ronon or Elizabeth so being flipped by Bates was embarrassing, although he had to admit if he'd been spending his time watching his back instead of flirt sparing with the man he wouldn't be having this trouble.

Bates held out his hand and Lorne took it and lifted himself to his feet, holding onto Bates' hand a little longer then necessary before moving back from him. Both Ronon and Teyla had cancelled all their training sessions so John had asked Lorne to take them. Lorne had reluctantly agreed but only because he couldn't tell John the truth about the real reason he wanted the day off. It had been a year exactly since he and Bates had got together and he had plans to celebrate it but he couldn't exactly tell John that so he'd agreed to take the two sessions. Bates, at first had been pissed with Lorne, until he showed him exactly what he was planning to do with him after the sessions. Bates had decided to go along to the sessions as well. Both men were slightly amused that none of the others even suspected anything but that was part of the fun of their relationship. The other fun parts of their relationship was that it was wrong and forbidden. Not to mention everyday they carried on with it the situation got worse and worse.

Lorne ended the session and as soon as anyone had left he went over to the gym door and closed it, removing one of the crystals so it couldn't be reopened.

Bates didn't realise until he tried to open the door. He then turned to see Lorne looking at him, smirking. Bates smirked back and walked to him. He grabbed him and pushed him against the wall. His mouth covered his immediately.

Bates continued to push Lorne harder into the wall as they began to battle for control over the other. When it finally looked like Lorne was about to get the upper hand something disturbed them. Someone was trying to get into the gym.

"Fuck"

Bates pulled away from Lorne reluctantly and the two grabbed the their things and went to the door. Lorne picked up the crystal.

Is anyone in there?"

"Yeah, the door's stuck, I think one of the crystals is loose."

Lorne pushed the crystal into it's appropriate place

"Shall I go get someone?"

Lorne punched in his security code and the door opened. The person trying to get into the gym was one of the young Marines who had been brought over on the Daedalus.

"Are you okay Sirs? You look...flustered"

They both nodded

"Yeah, we're fine the door sticking just pissed us off that's all"

The young Marine nodded, not looking convinced but excepting it all the same. The two men left the gym and once they were out of ear shot Lorne turned to Bates

"That was damn close"

Bates shook his head and sighed

"We've got to be more careful Jamie. The last thing we need is the Daedalus Marines finding out. If they find out, Caldwell finds out, if Caldwell finds out the two of us are back on the next ship to Earth."

Lorne nodded, he knew it was true but he knew they had an ally. Someone Bates didn't know about.

"Weir knows"

Bates turned to Lorne. His eyes wide hoping he had just misheard.

"Excuse me did you just say Weir knows?"

Lorne nodded. Bates cursed and hurried the pace to his quarters. He wouldn't have this argument with him in the corridors. This was a private argument.

They reached Bates' quarters and within the first ten seconds of being in the room Bates was already dangerously pissed.

"You told Weir?"

Lorne shook his head

"Of course not, Jeez Marcus she figured it out herself. She's not stupid. She told me that it's our private life and she's not going to do anything about it. She also said that if it became well known and we were ordered to go back to Earth she would protect us. She said something about bringing in something she's been working on with Sheppard. Atlantis military which is basically her own military division ran by her and only her. She would make the rules. That way we could say we're part of that military establishment and they couldn't punish us"

Bates wasn't bothered about Elizabeth knowing now, he was more interested in what Atlantis Military was.

"What else did she say about Atlantis Military, did she explain it?"

Lorne nodded and sat down.

"Yeah, she thought with the number of Athosian's wanting to join Atlantis teams and, this was when we were cut off from Earth, with Earth not being in contact that their Military rules were basically not valid here because there was no one to enforce them. She thought it might be easier for all the Athosians and those of us who want to join her military to be grouped under one set of rules."

Bates rubbed his forehead

"What about those who didn't want to join Atlantis military?"

"Elizabeth said that those who didn't want to join would be free to stay under their military rules, those ones would report Sheppard and the Atlantis military would report to her"

Bates shook his head.

"Does she have any idea the amount of trouble splitting the military could cause? I mean did she think this through?"

"Hey, relax. Obviously now we're back in contact with Earth the Atlantis Military plans won't go ahead. Why does this bug you so much?"

Bates sighed

"It doesn't, it's just...if she had gone ahead with it, the division of the military would have been dangerous. People would have stopped trusting each other."

Lorne took a step forward and kissed him

"Relax, it's not going ahead. She just mentioned it and it would have been a way of keeping us out of trouble"

Bates nodded

"I know, I just think she should leave military situations to the military."

Lorne shook his head slightly, he'd heard from a few people that Bates had a problem with a civilian being in charge of the expedition but he'd never believed it, but with the way Bates was acting it seemed that the claim might hold some weight.

"Do you have a problem with a civilian being in charge of this expedition?"

"No of course not, I didn't say that. Why are you getting so defensive of her anyway?"

Lorne shrugged

"I'm not getting defensive of her, I just think that she deserves a lot more respect than she gets"

"If she wants respect maybe she should stop sleeping around with the members of the expedition"

Bates cursed himself, he hadn't meant that. He hadn't meant to say that.

"Is that what this is about? Because I told you, while trying to be truthful, that we slept together. First thing, that was after she and Sheppard broke up the first time, she didn't know she was pregnant and it was once or and for the record I was the one who initiated it, not her."

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that. That wasn't a dig at you."

Lorne shook his head and walked to the door.

"Whatever"

Lorne left Bates room and walked the short distance to his own room. He dumped his things onto the bed and went into the bathroom to turn on the shower. He stripped off his clothes and stepped under the warm water. He couldn't believe that Bates was jealous about something that happened years ago. It hadn't even meant anything to either of them, it had been one of those things.

_Lorne knew it probably wasn't a good idea, after all she knew she'd had a rough couple of days but he knocked on the door to Dr Weir's quarters none the less. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal Elizabeth standing there and damn how was it physically possible that she could look hot in a tank top and jogging bottoms with her wet hair tied up in a messy ponytail. _

"_Major, what can I do for you?"_

_Lorne took a moment to steady himself before answering. _

"_I need your signature on these before the Daedalus leaves in the morning."_

_Elizabeth looked at the papers in his hands and nodded. _

"_Of course, come in"_

_Lorne stepped into her room as Elizabeth took the papers from him and walked over to her desk where she started to sign them. Less then a minute later she handed the papers back to him with a smile. _

"_Thank you Ma'am"_

_Elizabeth nodded and sat back down on her bed and began to type on her laptop, when Lorne didn't leave she looked up at him. _

"_Is there something else Major?"_

_Lorne shook his head and walked to the door before turning round to her _

"_No actually...there's rumours flying around and I just want to ask you..."_

_Elizabeth cut him off with one simple movement of her hand. The index finger thing which Rodney was familiar with. _

"_Major, it is nobody's business except my own. And while yes what you heard may be true...it will not be effecting my work so you have no reason to worry"_

_Lorne nodded and turned back round. _

"_I just wanted to make sure you were okay."_

_Lorne was about to activate the door when her voice stopped him. _

"_I'm fine, thank you."_

_Lorne turned back round to face her. He walked over to the bed and sat on it facing it. _

"_I know what is like. And, if you want to talk to anyone, I'm here"_

_Elizabeth nodded slowly_

"_Thank you Jamie, but...you really shouldn't concern yourself with happens with me"_

_Lorne sighed_

"_Yeah, I know I shouldn't, but I do."_

_Lorne stretched out his arm and placed his hand on her cheek and then down to her neck. Slowly he pulled her in towards him and kissed her. Elizabeth pulled back very quickly and looked back at her laptop. Lorne sat watching her before closing her laptop halfway through a sentence and moving it off the bed. He didn't know what he was doing, he knew it was mad but he couldn't help himself. He thought she was a very attractive woman and at the moment she hurting and he wanted to help her get rid of that hurt. Lorne lent forward and kissed her again, this time harder, this time he pushed her backwards onto the bed. She was beautiful, he'd thought about this so many times but always knew she was off limits but now...she still was in a sense but nothing ventured nothing gained. _

_Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed his lips harder onto hers. Lorne knew that he was not the one she wanted but...he could deal with that. _

_Lorne moved his mouth from her lips to her neck and shoulder, he began to bite and kiss at the delicate soft skin. He knew this was a potentially dangerous thing he was doing, especially if John ever found out but he wanted this and Elizabeth didn't seem to be holding back. _

_It did take long for Lorne to get rid of every piece of clothing on both his and her body. His mouth dropped to her breasts and he began to nip on them with his teeth before sliding the whole nipple into his mouth and sucking on it._

_He started to move down the rest of her body, kissing the soft moisturised skin. He moved further down her body but Elizabeth stopped him from going any further but grabbing his shoulders and hoisting him back up to her lips. She kissed him hard and this only aroused him more, the feel of her skin rubbing onto his. He couldn't wait much longer, he kissed down her neck and breasts one last time before sliding into her without warning. He swore all the air was sucked out of his lungs as he entered her, just for a moment. _

_It didn't take long after for him to come inside her, he knew that was stupid but he hadn't planned on having sex with her so hadn't brought any condoms with him and he had been too caught up in the moment to pull out. He muttered her name into her neck as he did and a few moments later he heard his own name being said quietly, but it was his name. It wasn't Major, it wasn't Lorne, it was Jamie. And he had to admit he'd always wanted to hear her say is name like that. _

_It was only afterwards, after they'd both come down, that they realised that it had been stupid. That it had been inappropriate. Elizabeth had asked him to leave and he did._

Lorne's breathing began to become more and more rapid as he remembered that night, as he remembered sliding into her, hearing his name when she came. Being with her.

That had been the first time since being with Bates that he had fantasised about that night with Elizabeth, since he'd thought about that night in so much detail, remembering every movement they made, every dip and curve in her body.

Okay, so maybe it had meant more to Lorne then he ever let on but the fact of the matter was that she was his boss and for him, that had meant she was off limits. When he found out she had miscarried he flipped because a part of him had wondered if the kid had been his, but he'd heard, from a few Marines that didn't know when to keep their mouths shut, that she had been over five months pregnant and that didn't fit into the timeline, if it was his kid, she'd have only been around four months pregnant, not five. He'd never asked her about it, he had fought about it. He always knew that the gossips could have gotten the wrong dates, she could in fact have only been four months pregnant but he was too afraid to ask. The two of them had never spoken about it, as far as they were concerned it had been a one night stand. One never to be repeated again.

Two days later

Elizabeth sat in her office, just staring into space. To anyone looking in the control room it would have seemed like she was working, to those who actually knew her, they knew she wasn't working. Her mind was full of thoughts, full of images, full of memories. Mostly it was full of hurt. For the last two days she had been increasingly withdrawn, only speaking to certain personal members and only when necessary. She'd retreated to inside herself, to the only person she could really rely on and that had worried some people, particularly Rodney and Carson. She'd already seen Carson for some sedatives so she sleep at night. Carson had been reluctant to give her them until she pleaded with him, patching through to their friendship.

She's said some particularly weird stuff to Rodney which had made him slightly worried. He knew she'd been hurt but he didn't know how much it had effected her.

He'd mentioned it to Kate but she had just placed her hand on his shoulder and told him that some wounds were hard to heal, he didn't have a clue what she meant by that but Kate did. Elizabeth had been hurt so many times that it was only natural that she would revert into herself, loose trust in those around her and question things about her life. Although she couldn't say that to Rodney, he wouldn't understand and she wouldn't be able to elaborate.

The door to Elizabeth's office opened but she didn't even realise. It was Rodney. He stood there for a minute, watching her. She seemed smaller then usual, more withdrawn and pale.

Rodney cleared his throat, causing Elizabeth to look up at him, startled.

"What can I do for you Rodney?"

Rodney produced a cup of coffee and a sandwich. He walked over to her desk and placed the two items in front of her.

"I thought you might want something to eat"

Elizabeth smiled to herself and then looked up at Rodney. He was truly a sweet man, not many could see that about him, but she could.

"Thank you Rodney."

Rodney nodded and left the room. Part of him wanted to wrap Elizabeth up and do anything to look after her and keep her safe. Another part of him knew that she didn't need looking after but that was fighting a loosing battle with the caring side of Rodney.

He'd had just as rough a time as her but he seemed to be handling better then her. He'd thrown himself into his work, he'd removed every trace of Teyla from his life. He'd made it obvious to her that there was no chance reconciliation and it seemed that she had excepted that. But Ronon, Ronon was still trying to do all he could to try and get Elizabeth back and it was stopping her from trying to move on with her life. Rodney had considered saying something to him, asking him to let Elizabeth move on with her life, but every time he got up the courage the thought of Teyla with him filled his head meaning he couldn't stand to be near the man.

Rodney turned his head slightly and watched Elizabeth. She was sat, still staring into nothingness. The pain written across her face for all to see.

* * *

Elizabeth bit into the chicken salad sandwich reluctantly. She knew Rodney had meant well and she loved him for that but since finding out about Ronon and Teyla, she had been constantly off her food, which had resulted in a lecture from Carson about her eating habits at the best of times.

Elizabeth chewed a piece of the lettuce repetitively over and over again before swallowing it. She kept doing that until there was a hesitated knock on the glass door. Elizabeth looked up and saw Teyla standing there. Elizabeth swallowed hard, placed the sandwich down and motioned for Teyla to come into the room.

Teyla slowly opened the door and walked in. She was holding some reports which she passed to Elizabeth, without really looking at her.

"Some reports, from when you were on Earth"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and took the documents.

"Thank you"

It was barely more then a choked out whisper and it hurt Elizabeth that this woman used to be her friend, her close friend.

Teyla heard the whispered 'thank you' and was about to leave, but she couldn't. She had to say something, had to make her understand.

"Elizabeth, you have no obligation to listen to me right now but I hope you will"

Elizabeth looked up at Teyla. The Athosian's eyes were watery. Full of tears and pain. Elizabeth reluctantly nodded and Teyla continued.

"You have no idea how guilty I have felt about what happened. I knew as soon as it happened that it was wrong and that I'd made a big mistake. You must believe me when I say I never meant to hurt you. I could never hurt you intentionally. It was a mistake. Ronon wanted to tell you straight away, he wanted to be honest with you...I begged him not to, I was afraid of loosing Rodney."

Elizabeth snapped her head up and cut in.

"You did loose him and Ronon lost me. If you had told us straight away...maybe things could have been different. But you lied to us...for eight months you lied and you got John to lie. You put him in a awkward situation...you made me find out from him. Teyla you should have been honest with us."

Teyla shook her head. She knew Elizabeth had a point but part of her was pissed on how in the hell Elizabeth could take the high road, after all she had been the reason for Teyla and Ronon splitting up to begin with.

"You sit there and say I should have been honest with you...but you were never honest with me about Ronon. You lied to me and never once told me you held feelings for him. He left me for you. I hated you for that but I realised that...I realised that you and Ronon...you wanted to be together so I let it be."

"Do you and Ronon want to be together? When you slept together...was the spark still there?"

Elizabeth's question came out of nowhere and it threw Teyla off guard. She could remember feeling the guilt but had she felt so guilty because the spark between she and Ronon still there. She didn't know and it meant that she didn't know how to answer.

"I don't know. I truly don't know. But what I can tell you is that...Ronon still loves you. It's too late for me to try and salvage what I had with Rodney but...it's not for you and Ronon"

Elizabeth looked up at her Teyla, her eyes slightly squinted.

"It is too late Teyla...Ronon and I can't get back what we had and I'm not sure I'd want to. Part of him still loves you and I could never...never compare to that. Ronon once said that you and I were so alike and that the only difference was that I made him crazy..." Elizabeth shook her head and looked down "...Maybe I did make him crazy, maybe what we had was special once but it's not anymore I don't think I'm wrong in saying that you are the one he wants, the one he's always wanted. We were a momentary thing...I wish I'd realised it earlier though...that's my only regret"

A few tears fell down Teyla's cheek. She wanted so much to hold Elizabeth and comfort her but she knew she couldn't. She knew that was the last thing Elizabeth wanted. Slowly Teyla left Elizabeth's office.

When Elizabeth was sure Teyla was gone, she allowed a few tears to fall from her own eyes. Elizabeth quickly raised her hand to her mouth and bit on one of the fingers gently. She would not allow herself to cry, she wouldn't do it. She would not waste tears over him, over them.

After a few moments she recovered. She removed her hand from her mouth and picked up one of the reports Teyla had just dropped off. She placed in in front of her, using it to replace the sandwich which she then placed into the bin next to her desk.

TBC...


	15. Chapter 15

2 Weeks later

Elizabeth's eyes opened gradually as she realised two things. The first thing was the lights in the infirmary were very bright, the second thing was that she had one hell of an headache.

She sat there for about a minute before Carson walked over to her, a menacing scowl on his face. Out of all the people on the expedition she had to admit that Carson scared her the most.

Carson arrived at Elizabeth's bedside, still wearing the look.

"You, young lady, are in serious trouble, and you're quickly making your way out of my good books."

Elizabeth cleared her throat slightly, she knew she was in trouble when she got called 'young lady', before answering quite cheekily.

"What did I do Doc?"

Carson's eyes opened wide in disbelief.

"Don't get smart with me Elizabeth. And it's more a case of what you haven't been doing three times a day for the last two and a half weeks."

Elizabeth cringed inwardly but Carson knew she'd done it. He knew she'd cringed

"Aye, now you remember"

Carson softened slightly on sat on the bed facing her.

"We talked about this Elizabeth. Do you remember me lecturing you?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly and Carson continued.

"I know you've had a tough couple of weeks...scrap that...you've had a tough couple of years but you've got to take care of yourself Elizabeth. I'm worried about you and I promise you that if you have anymore fainting spells because you're not eating right, I will take command away from you, don't think I won't"

Elizabeth nodded again

"I'm sorry. And please be assured I'm not doing it intentionally"

Carson sighed

"Then why are you doing it? You're a smart capable woman...you know the dangers of not looking after yourself properly."

Elizabeth nodded

"I know Carson. I've just been..."

Elizabeth sighed, there were some things which hadn't made it's way into her medical file. Some things which nobody else but her knew about but it looked like these were things which she would have to tell Carson about.

"Carson. I'm going to tell you something but I swear to God if this gets out..."

"Anything you tell me while I'm acting as your doctor is strictly confidential"

Elizabeth nodded and looked around the infirmary, it was quiet and the other people who were in the room where on the other side of the room.

"After...after my rape..." Carson nodded slowly, he knew how difficult it was for Elizabeth to talk about that "...I felt physically sick all the time when I did eat, I was sick. My father started to get worried, he started to accuse me of doing it on purpose, he wasn't to know. I just wanted to be in control of something...I stopped eating, it made me feel in control of my life again and it stopped me from feeling sick. Because of my dancing, I was a pretty slim kid to begin with...so it didn't take long for me to get carted off to hospital. My Dad knew the doctor well so he managed to keep it out of my medical records. I have to feel in control Carson. If I'm not in control of my life, how can I be in control of this expedition. I don't mean to do it, I just do"

Elizabeth looked away from Carson and wiped her eyes slightly before turning back to him. She hadn't realised but halfway through, Carson had grabbed her hand and started to rub it lightly.

"Elizabeth I had no idea lass. But...I stand by what I said. I want you to start eating properly again. Three meals a day, at least. You've lost far too much weight and it's not healthy"

Elizabeth nodded

"I will. I promise"

Carson sighed and stood up, gently letting go of Elizabeth's hand.

"I'm going to keep you in for observation for today. I've already informed Major Lorne and he has taken command while Colonel Sheppard is off world."

Elizabeth sighed but nodded none the less.

**Rio**

There may be problems between SGA1 but they had a job to do and they were mature enough to put their problems aside, or so John thought. For him it had been the worst mission he'd ever been on during his entire Atlantis career. He felt like strangling every single one of them.

Ronon and Rodney had started bickering halfway through the mission. Teyla then had become very annoyed and shouted at the two of them, which resulted in Rodney having an pointless argument with her and that had meant that John had ordered all of them to, in his own words, 'shut the hell up before I shoot you all and don't think I won't', okay so he knew he wouldn't shoot any of them and they knew it as well but it did shut them up. It didn't take long for John to end the mission, two hours before it was scheduled to end. He decided he had to do some serious thinking about whether or not his team could stay together. If they couldn't get through one short mission to an ally planet how in the hell could they get through longer missions. John decided that the first thing he would do upon getting back to Atlantis was have a talk with Elizabeth about splitting up his team.

The three walked behind John in silence, each of them fuming slightly. Each going through things in their heads and trying to avoid eye contact with the others. Each knew that they should have been able to get through such a short mission without arguing but not understanding why they couldn't. They should be able separate their personal and professional lives. After all they are adults.

John activated the Stargate and stepped through followed by his team. They knew he was pissed and they could tell that he was thinking of splitting them up.

**Atlantis**

John walked into the Atlantis 'Gate room, a scowl still on his face. When the team joined him he ordered them to dump their things and go to the infirmary to get checked out. When the team were sulking off Major Lorne came up to John.

"Sir, you're back early"

John turned to Lorne and shook his head

"I'm going to bang their heads together. We only got halfway through the mission when they started bickering..." John allowed himself a moment away from his anger and looked up into the control room and back down to Lorne "...Where's Weir?"

Lorne took a moment before answering

"She's in the infirmary Sir. She fainted while briefing St Bates team. Dr Beckett has requested that she stay there for at least a day for observation"

John sighed deeply and nodded

"Okay, when I come back from the infirmary I want a briefing on what's been going on in the city"

Lorne nodded

"Yes Sir"

When Elizabeth saw Rodney, Ronon and Teyla she groaned inwardly, especially when it looked like Ronon was about to head over to her, luckily he was stopped by Carson and some nurses who came over to check on the team, but it didn't stop Rodney. Quickly he walked over to her and sat down in the chair which was next to her bed.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

Elizabeth held up her index finger and Rodney stopped speaking.

"I'm fine Rodney, I just fainted. Carson said it's not surprising given the pressure I've been under"

Rodney nodded and smiled

"Good, as long as there's nothing wrong with you"

Elizabeth smiled at Rodney's concern.

"It's nothing that a long sleep won't solve"

Rodney nodded before being dragged away by one of the nurses, obviously sent over by Carson.

Elizabeth relaxed back into her pillow but not for long, after only a few moments John came into the room, he'd obviously heard from Lorne that she had fainted.

"Elizabeth are you okay?"

Elizabeth nodded firmly

"I am fine. I promise"

John nodded and sat in the chair which Rodney had just vacated.

"Good that's good. What happened? People just don't faint..." A thought then filled John's head and he looked at her worried "...You're not pregnant are you?"

Elizabeth laughed a little and shook her head

"No. Thank God, that would be a little too weird"

John breathed a sigh of relief and nodded

"He would certainly have an hold on you if you were"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement

"Doesn't mean I'd go back to him"

John smiled slightly and cleared his throat. As much as he hated the fact that Elizabeth was in pain and that he had been one of the causes of it, he was happy that she was free again as it gave him a glimmer of hope although he did suspect that, for at least the next couple of months, she would be completely off the opposite sex, after all they were doing themselves any justice.

"So, why did you faint?"

"Low blood sugar"

John shook his head and then glared at her

"Elizabeth..."

Elizabeth promptly cut him off

"I've had the lecture from Carson. I don't want the lecture off you as well"

John nodded in acceptance and sighed

"I'm going to get checked out and then I'll bring you down a turkey sandwich from the mess hall. And a coffee because I need to...make a request"

Elizabeth sat up very curious

"Please continue"

John looked round at his team sadly, Elizabeth's gaze following his, before looking back at her and sighing

"Best I ask you when they're not here"

Elizabeth nodded and got the feeling that she knew what the request was. It saddened her too.

One week later

It didn't take long for the rumour mills to get hold of the information that SGA1 would be split up into three different groups. Rodney, being the chief scientist, would be staying with John on SGA1. With them would be St Bates and Lieutenant Cadman, which Rodney had fought a loosing battle about. Ronon would be joining Bates' old team which was to be commanded by Lieutenant Richards and Teyla would be replacing Cadman on Lornes' team.

Elizabeth had thought to begin with that splitting them up would be a bit too harsh but, after talking with Bates, who had no problem with joining the flagship team, and Lorne, who had no problem which such a highly skilled fighter like Teyla joining his team, who both agreed that it would probably be best if the team were split up and would most likely make them more effective. Of course, quickly after Bates left the room, the conversation between Lorne and Elizabeth had turned onto something much more personal to both of them.

"_The sad truth is that if they are split up they will be more effective, they won't be getting at each others throats. It's best Ma'am"_

_Elizabeth nodded sadly in agreement _

"_I know. St Bates, are you sure you have no problem with loosing command of your team and joining Sheppard's team as second in command"_

_Bates nodded firmly_

"_I don't mind. Lieutenant Richards, well let's just say he'll make one hell of a commander"_

_Elizabeth smirked slightly _

"_Well let's just hope he can command Ronon"_

_Bates nodded in agreement and Elizabeth turned to Lorne_

"_What about you? Are you sure you're fine with loosing Cadman and having Teyla on your team instead."_

_Lorne nodded_

"_Laura has been practically jumping about since finding out she's short-listed for Sheppard's team, and I'll be happy to get someone of Teyla's skill on my team"_

_Elizabeth nodded and dismissed the two men. As Lorne was about to leave she called him back. Lorne walked back to her desk and smiled_

"_What can I do for you Ma'am?"_

_Elizabeth gave him a look which he knew well, it was the look which she meant that she knew something was wrong with him._

"_What's going on with you and Marcus? You haven't been near each other, unless it's official, for the last three weeks. Level with me Jamie, what's happened?"_

_Lorne sighed and sat down opposite her_

"_We had a fight. Our first major fight. Fraternization regulations are there for a reason, I guess I've realised the reason"_

_Elizabeth sighed and shook her head_

"_What did you fight about?"_

_Lorne shifted in his seat, he didn't want Elizabeth to know she'd been the cause of the fight but...he wanted...needed to talk someone about it and she was the only person who he could talk to about it. _

"_I told Marcus about that Atlantis Military idea you had. He wasn't too happy about it...I started defending your actions and then he brought up the thing between..." Lorne used his index finger to motion between the two of them. Elizabeth cringed but nodded all the same. _

"_You knew the minute you told him what happened that he'd get mad and use it against you later"_

_Lorne nodded and sighed_

"_I guess I didn't realise he was still jealous about it. It happened so long ago."_

_Elizabeth nodded, it had. It had been over two years since it had happened, they had never really talked about what happened that night except when Elizabeth had found out about Lorne and Bates and he had asked her if he could tell Bates what happened, just so there were no secrets. Elizabeth had been apprehensive at the thought of sharing their secret, especially with Bates, but she knew that Lorne just wanted to be loyal and honest so she had agreed. The minute she agreed she knew it would come back to bite them in the ass. _

"_Talk to him Jamie, sort it out. I don't want the two of you having problems because of me. I've already screwed up my life enough, I don't want to screw up yours"_

_Lorne chuckled slightly _

"_You could never do that"_

_Lorne stood up and was about to leave her office but talking with her about that night had made him remember something, something he needed to know before he could do anything else. _

"_The rumours were...they were that you were five months pregnant when you lost the baby..." He turned round to see her staring at him, her eyes big "...I just wanted to know that they didn't get the dates mixed up..."_

_Elizabeth cut him off_

"_I was five months pregnant...not four"_

_Lorne nodded and left her office. _

Elizabeth hadn't realised until that day what Lorne had been carrying around for over two years. Truth was she had wondered if the baby could have been his, until she did her calculations and found that she was far too pregnant for it to be his.

Elizabeth looked at her watch and then quickly left her office. Waiting at the bottom of the stairs was Lorne and his team. Elizabeth could tell from the look on Teyla's face that she felt out of place but there was nothing she could do about it now. The decision had been made and Caldwell had backed she and John on it. Elizabeth walked towards Lorne and smiled.

"Come back in one piece please Major"

Lorne nodded and smiled

"Yes Ma'am"

* * *

Why had she said that? What had she said, 'come back in one piece please Major'?. She should have guessed that something would have happened. Teyla and Lieutenant Anderson had fallen through the 'Gate only two hours after the team had left, both were injured badly. Elizabeth didn't know fully what had happened but from what Teyla had mummed to her, Lorne and Michaels had been taken hostage. Teyla had then promptly passed out in Elizabeth's arms.

Both Teyla and Anderson were now in the infirmary and John's team was suited up, ready to disembark. But there was one person who wasn't ready yet.

Rodney had slipped off to the infirmary, he had to see Teyla, make sure she was okay. He didn't know why he cared but he did. Up until a three weeks ago this had been the woman he loved, the woman a part of him still loved. He watched her for a few moments, her chest rising and falling slowly as she breathed gently. Crimson red blood still weeping from the wounds which were yet to be bandaged.

Rodney kept watching her until Carson came up behind him, placing his hand on Rodney's left shoulder.

"She'll be okay lad."

Rodney slowly nodded and left the infirmary without a word to his friend. Carson watched him go and sighed. He knew that Rodney had been struggling but he knew Teyla had been struggling more, he knew that through what he had discovered when running a blood test. Carson walked over to Teyla's sighed and touched her arm.

"He's gone love"

Teyla's eyes opened slowly and she sighed

"Thank you Carson. I could not face seeing him"

Carson nodded and started to clean one of Teyla's head wounds.

"What were you going to do about it?"

Teyla shook her head and sighed

"It no longer matters and he will never need to know"

Carson closed his eyes and moved away from the wound

"Teyla, it was his..."

"...And now it is gone. There is no need to upset him more then I already have"

Carson opened his eyes and looked at Teyla, tears were filling her eyes.

"Would you have told him?"

Teyla shrugged

"I do not know. I was planning...planning to go to the mainland. I was going to make the request to Dr Weir next week, tell her that I couldn't stay on Atlantis. Once on the mainland...I do not know...I may have given it up or I may have raised it myself. But as I said before...it does not matter now."

Carson held Teyla's hand lightly and sighed.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't save your baby"

Tears fell down Teyla's cheeks

"I know you tried"

John and his team stood around waiting for Rodney to join them. When Rodney walked into the room John was near ready to kill him, until he saw the state he was in. He'd obviously been to see Teyla.

John walked over to the scientist and lowered his voice.

"Is she okay?"

Rodney nodded slowly.

"Carson said she'll be fine"

John nodded slowly, he placed his hand on Rodney's shoulder and led him over to where the team were waiting, ready to go through. Just as the Stargate activated Ronon walked into the room, in his combat gear and carry a selection of his favourite weapons, John turned to him puzzled but Ronon just shrugged.

"Not letting you go in there with only Cadman and Bates for backup"

John nodded slowly, he wouldn't let it show but he was touched that Ronon cared. Ronon glanced over at Rodney and nodded. Rodney slowly nodded back. It was obvious to John that Ronon and Rodney shared some pissed off feelings about what had happened to Teyla. Both men had seen her bruised and bleeding and it was obvious that they were out to seek some revenge.

Elizabeth walked down the stairs to her team and sighed.

"Bring them and yourselves home"

Elizabeth's gaze met Bates. To anyone else, he was calm but Elizabeth could read him and she knew he was terrified for Lorne.

John, Ronon, Rodney and Cadman stepped through the Stargate. Bates waited a minute as Elizabeth walked to him.

"Bring him home and then sort it out Marcus."

Bates nodded before turning round and stepping through the Stargate himself.

**Kik **

When they arrived on Kik, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After all they'd visited this planet a number of times and it always seemed like such a peaceful place and the people were lovely, or so they thought. John secured his P-90, ready to use it if he needed to. He was getting back his people and he'd shoot whoever tried to stop him. John was feeling so guilty. He knew this would have happened anyway but before the shake-up it had been his team who had been scheduled to go to Kik but John had lost the mission to Lorne after he had lost a bet. It was stupid to be betting missions with each other but it had been a bit of fun, of course if Elizabeth asked they had been no bet. Instead John had given Lorne the mission because one of the women on the planet was really into him and it was starting to freak him out.

John caused himself. He had been so stupid but he could kick himself later. Right now, he had two Marines to rescue.

According to the sketchy details which Anderson had been able to give them they were attacked just a few miles outside the main village. There was apparently suppose to be a big Ancient statue there with writing on. It didn't take them long to find this statue and yep, it was Ancient. From there Anderson had told them that Lorne and Michaels had ran a northerly direction while ordering him and Teyla to get back to the Stargate. From there the details were non existent. They were working on pure guess work.

Out of the team members Bates was surprisingly the most calm, but then he knew if he screwed up, Jamie could die. That scenario kept running around his head, he couldn't loose him. The past three weeks for him had been hell. They weren't really speaking to each other, they hadn't spent any time together and Bates was back to sleeping on his own. He needed Lorne, he needed Jamie back with him. Safe and well.

The team headed north for what seemed like hours before reaching a building. A big stone building which was different to what any of the buildings in the villages looked like.

John looked at his life signs detector as as suspected, the amount of life signs had increased the closer they had got to the building. There were two guards at the main door and then once inside the building there were two more guards down the hall. John and Bates took out the two guards near the door first, quietly and quickly, no messing around.

Ronon took out his stunner and pointed it at the door. He nodded at Bates and John, both of who had a door and were ready to open it. They opened the doors and before the guards could blink Ronon had taken them out with one stunner blast each. The team moved up the corridor, John keeping one finger on the trigger of his P-90 at all times. He looked the the life signs detector. He wasn't quite sure where to go next there were multiple targets which could have been Lorne and Michaels but he wasn't sure. Bates looked at the life signs detector in John's hand and sighed. He looked at the targets and for some reason was drawn to one of the targets a few corridors away.

"That one"

Bates pointed to the life signs detector and then looked up at John.

"It's them, I know it"

John took a second to assess the situation. He knew Bates wouldn't send them down the wrong corridor on purpose but he needed something more.

"How can you be sure?"

Bates pointed to one of the targets which was moving around a circle.

"That's Lorne, when he's nervous or pissed off he walks around in a little circle, it's calms him down"

John looked at Bates slightly confused why he knew Lorne so well but he accepted it.

"One last time Bates. Are you sure?"

Bates nodded

"It's them"

John took a deep breath and hoped for the best as he and the team made their way down the corridor, taking out any opposition before they even realised that they were there. It didn't take them long to get to the corridor. They'd managed to find a key on one of the guards that they'd taken out and were hoping it was the right one for the cell which Lorne and Michaels were in.

They were ready to move down the corridor to the end room when the appearance of four burly guards stopped them dead in their tracks. They unlocked the cell and two of them walked in while the other two stayed outside guarding the door.

The life signs detector suddenly went mad. One of the signs, which Bates had identified as Lorne earlier, was flown across the room by one of the other signs while the other sign which had obviously been Michaels looked like he was being held back by another sign. When Lorne was thrown across the room Bates was ready to rush down the corridor and into the room but John grabbed him and shook his head.

"We've got to do this right."

John ordered Cadman and Ronon to head back the way they'd came and around the corridors until they reached the other side of the corridor. Cadman nodded and grabbed her own life signs detector and followed Ronon.

It only took Cadman and Ronon a few minutes to reach their destination but it had felt like an eternity to Bates. Especially as the life signs detector kept showing Lorne getting thrown across the room. Plus he could hear the sound of his body hitting the wall, although there were no screams, Bates knew Lorne wouldn't scream, he would show weakness.

John indicated that he would take out the two guards on the door and then Cadman was to go into the room and take out the two guards. Cadman nodded and secured her P-90 and waited. In less the thirty seconds John had taken out the two guards on the door and Cadman was running into the room with Ronon to take out the other two guards. In all the madness they hadn't realised that one of the life signs had disappeared entirely.

TBC...


	16. Chapter 16

Notes: Since the next 13 or so chapters have actually been written I will try and post a new chapter at least once a day. Thanks to the people who are still following this.

**Atlantis**

Bates sat in the infirmary. His eyes dark. He'd been up for nearly twenty-four hours but he didn't care. He couldn't close his eyes, couldn't bare to sleep without Lorne at his side. He looked over at the man laying in the bed next to where he was sat. He'd been the lucky one and that was saying something.

He looked across to the bed on his other side to where John was sleeping. On their way back to the Stargate John had been shot while trying to cover them so they could dial the Stargate. When Ronon had seen John get shot he had ran back for him and dragged him from the floor and through the Stargate.

He'd been lucky as well. After all one of them had died, a painful horrible death while trying to protect one of the others.

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary and saw Bates sat on a chair between the two beds. She walked towards him and sat down next to him on another chair. Not even making eye contact she grabbed his hand, following his gaze to the man laying on the bed in front of them. She could have spoke, said something comforting but she didn't, she knew no words could comfort this man. He was still trying to come to terms with things but to her surprise he spoke.

"Michaels gave his life to protect Jamie. That has to be recognised, his family needs to know that."

Elizabeth nodded

"They will"

Yes Lorne had been a damn lucky man, he'd got thrown around, beaten and he was nearly shot but Michaels had broke from the grip of his guard and done what was necessary to protect his commanding officer. Cadman had seen him take the bullet, she'd seen Michaels body fall to the floor lifelessly. According to Carson she didn't know what happened afterwards but the next thing she remembered was being dragged to the Stargate by Rodney.

It had been bad, they still didn't know why Lorne and Michaels had been taken hostage. They'd spoke to Teyla and Anderson but even they weren't sure why it was happened, all they knew is that it had happened and they'd lost a good man because of it.

They'd tried contacting the leader of the Kiktians to find out what had happened but he had not replied, either out of fear or because he was the one who ordered the attack on the Atlantis team.

Elizabeth had ordered that the gate address to Kik be put on hostile watch list. She didn't want to take any chances.

Slowly and gently Elizabeth released Bates' hand and walked from her seat to where John was laying. He'd been very lucky that the bullet had only just clipped his thigh. From what Carson had said, a few more centimetres could have caused major tissue and muscle damage.

Slowly John's eyes opened when he sensed Elizabeth stand next to his bed.

"Hey, so I've got to take the next few weeks off work. Think I can swing that?"

Elizabeth chuckled lightly and nodded

"I think you can manage that"

Elizabeth took his hand, not even realising. John had to admit, it felt nice to be comforted by her again, to have her there.

"You were so lucky John. I few more centimetres into your thigh and it could have been serious"

John smiled

"I didn't know you were a MD"

Elizabeth sat down on a nearby chair and stroked her thumb up his finger.

"I have many talents"

John nodded and wondered about baiting her but decided against it, instead he gazed over to the bed next to his and saw Lorne.

"I heard about Michaels. Is Lorne going to be okay?"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"He will be. His wounds will take a while to heal but...he should make a full recovery"

John nodded and took a look over at Bates who had his elbows propped up on the bed and he was just looking at Lorne. John turned back to Elizabeth and sighed. He lowered his voice

"You should have told me. It's military business"

Elizabeth shook her head and answered, her voice just as low

"It's not military business. It's their personal business..." Elizabeth turned round and looked at Bates before turning back to John "...we should know better than anyone that you can't help who you fall in love with"

John had to admit, she had a point but it was still against regulations and the solider in him was screaming at him to report it to Earth but the man in him was telling him not too, telling him that Lorne and Bates were fantastic officers and that destroying their reputations and careers wouldn't achieve anything.

"You know I have to report it Elizabeth.."

Elizabeth cut him off promptly

"They are good soldiers John. Good men. If you report them...I'll protect them..."

John placed a finger to Elizabeth's lips to cut her off

"...You know I have to report it Elizabeth, but I won't..." He removed his finger from Elizabeth's lips "...I, personally don't have a problem with it, but they are some out there who do. They've got to keep it quiet and under the radar. You've got to tell them that"

Elizabeth nodded and smiled slightly

"I will. Thank you John"

Elizabeth was still holding John's hand when Ronon walked in. At first Ronon tensed. He saw red. It pissed him off a little that even after John had destroyed everything Elizabeth would still go back to him. Ronon quickly directed his anger away and walked forward towards John.

"How you feeling?"

John turned to Ronon, sliding his hand from Elizabeth's, and nodded

"I'm okay. I guess I should thank you for getting my ass out of there. I heard you put your neck on the line coming back for me like that"

Ronon shrugged slightly

"I'd have done it for anyone"

John nodded slowly but showed that he was still very grateful. Elizabeth quickly excused herself and, after placing a supportive hand on Bates shoulder, left the infirmary. Ronon waited a minute before saying goodbye to John and leaving the infirmary after her.

He saw her turn into another corridor and ran to catch her up, luckily the corridors were pretty much empty so he didn't have to worry about people watching them.

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth stopped and turned to him, she plastered on her diplomatic look.

"What can I do for you Ronon?"

He knew she was trying the 'our relationship never happened approach' and he could understand why she would do it but he needed to have a conversation with her.

"I wanted to...apologise...for...well for everything..." Ronon looked down at the floor before meeting her eyes again, this was so difficult for him, one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do "...I know you don't have to believe me but I am truly sorry for hurting you..and McKay. I never wanted too. I wanted to tell you as soon as it happened, I wanted to be honest that way, hopefully we could have worked through it I guess not telling you just made the situation worse."

Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes. When he was like this...vulnerable...she just wanted to hold him but that way lie madness.

Instead, Elizabeth walked forward to him a couple of paces before stopping and looking deep into his dark brown eyes. For the first time she could see the hurt and pain in his eyes, she could see how much he wanted her to forgive him, maybe that she could do but she could also see that he wanted her back, and that...that she just couldn't do, no matter how much she wanted.

"I wish you had told me earlier but...I doubt it would have made much of difference. I accept your apology Ronon and I thank you for it...but we'll never go back to the way we were."

Elizabeth watched as Ronon suddenly got much smaller then he was. Like a child and it killed her to be the cause

"Okay. I understand"

Ronon walked past her and down the corridor. Elizabeth was going to let him go, she stood there still waiting for him to go but...

"Ronon"

Ronon stopped and turned to see Elizabeth walking towards him. When she reached him she gently placed her hand on his cheek and lent up to him. She kissed him deeply, Ronon was shocked at first but eventually recovered and was about to kiss her back when Elizabeth stopped, moved away from his lips and whispered one single word in his ear. _Goodbye_.

****

2 Days later 

Bates had finally fallen asleep after nearly two and half days of being awake. It was no surprise though as Elizabeth entered the infirmary, to see that Bates had fallen asleep on the chair next to Lornes bed, a chair which he had spent a lot of time in the last few days. His feet were propped up on a chair opposite and he looked impossibly cute. He looked so innocent and vulnerable. Elizabeth picked up one of the blankets which lay at the bottom of Lornes' bed and draped it over Bates, trying not to wake him. He certainly needed the sleep.

Elizabeth watched him for a few moments before walking through the infirmary. John had been released, after some very good persuasive work, and told to rest in his quarters, which he was more than happy to since he had quite a lot of movies on his laptop that he had yet to see.

No, this time there was someone else in the infirmary who she had neglected to see, but John had given her the puppy dog eyes and begged her to go see this person so that's where she was going.

As she approached the bed she noticed how small the woman appeared to be. She wasn't her usual self.

Slowly Elizabeth reached the bed.

"Teyla?"

The Athosian turned round and saw Elizabeth standing over her. Teyla silently cringed. She didn't want to get into an argument with Elizabeth, she couldn't. She'd just lost her baby, she wanted peace.

"Dr Weir"

Elizabeth sat down on a chair and looked at Teyla. She was concerned for the woman, after all, up until a month ago they were best friends.

"How are you feeling Teyla?"

Teyla nodded slowly in response

"I am fine. Dr Beckett says I can leave tomorrow"

Elizabeth smiled slightly

"That's good. I should let you rest"

Elizabeth stood up, turned and started walking to the door when Teyla called out, stopping her

"Dr Weir"

Elizabeth turned back round and looked at Teyla.

"I need to ask you something"

Elizabeth walked back over to the Athosian and sighed

"Yes Teyla?"

Teyla sat up a little more and looked down at her hands before meeting Elizabeth's eyes.

"How...how did you cope...when...when you lost your baby?"

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. She hadn't coped, she hadn't known how too. She was about to ask Teyla why she was so bothered about it but then she saw something the the Athosian's eyes.

"Teyla...Oh God Teyla I am so sorry"

Teyla wiped away a few tears which were falling from her eyes and nodded

"Did Rodney know?"

Teyla, who was actually happy that Elizabeth assumed correctly who the father of her child was, shook her head.

"No, I found out...not long after you came back from Earth. I couldn't tell him."

Elizabeth sat back down in the chair she had just existed and sighed.

"Teyla if I'd have known..."

Teyla cut her off quickly

"I do not want you feeling sorry for me Elizabeth or regretting what you said. This is not your fault. I lost the baby because of the injuries I sustained on Kik. There was nothing you could have done"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed. Teyla was dealing with this a lot better then she had.

"Is there any type of Athosian ceremony that you need to do?"

Teyla tilted her head slightly and sighed

"There is...but...I am not sure if it is appropriate. Rodney does not know and I don't want him to know"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"Does he need to be there for it? I mean you could still have the ceremony...for your own closure"

"It is not necessary he be there, it is each parents own choice whether they be present."

Elizabeth took Teyla's hand gently, without even realising it.

"You should really think about doing it Teyla. It might help"

Teyla nodded slowly and decided to make a request of Elizabeth

"Would you...would you attend with me?..I don't know if I could do it alone"

Elizabeth nodded and released Teyla's hand slowly.

"Of course"

Teyla smiled at her weakly.

"Thank you. I shall contact Halling and ask him to make arrangements"

"I'll do it for you. You should rest"

Teyla nodded slowly

"Thank you"

The next day 

**Mainland **

When Elizabeth contacted Halling and told him what had happened he had come straight to Atlantis to see his leader. Teyla had been touched by his concern and he sat with her for several hours praying for her child. He then insisted that the ceremony be preformed as soon as possible so the baby's soul could join the Ancients sooner rather than later. Teyla had been reluctant at first but she eventually agreed that he right and told Halling to arrange the ceremony for the next day.

Teyla walked into the Jumper Bay to see Elizabeth and Carson waiting for her. Carson insisted going with them so he could fly the Jumper and keep an eye on Teyla but his real reason was that he wanted to say goodbye to the child of his best friend, especially if Rodney wasn't going to be there himself.

Elizabeth had found it difficult to find a reason for the three of them to be travelling to the mainland but Carson had mentioned to people that it was just a medical mission to check on some of the Athosians who had been suffering from illnesses the last few weeks and that Teyla and Elizabeth were only going to make sure that the Athosians were okay.

When John suggested going with them Elizabeth had to quickly think up a reason why he couldn't as Teyla didn't want anyone else to know what they were really going to the mainland for, in the end she got Carson to tell John that he had to rest and so couldn't go to the mainland. Elizabeth wasn't sure if John believed them but he didn't question it.

Teyla sat blankly staring across the water as they passed over the ocean to the mainland. Elizabeth half expected Teyla to tell Carson to turn the Jumper around. She seemed so reluctant to go through with the ceremony but she didn't. They arrived on the mainland less then thirty-five minutes after leaving Atlantis, which for Carson actually meant that he was getting quicker at flying Jumpers.

Carson docked the Jumper in it's usual place and opened the hatch. He glanced over at Teyla and then at Elizabeth. Elizabeth motioned for him to give them a moment alone so Carson left the Jumper and Elizabeth sat in the pilots seat and turned to Teyla.

"Teyla, you don't have to go through with this"

Teyla nodded slowly and stood up

"I know"

Teyla left the Jumper without another word and a few seconds later Elizabeth followed her.

****

Elizabeth understood the prays said in the Ancient language but when it came to the prays said in the Athosians' native language she didn't have a clue.. Halfway through the ceremony Teyla had grasped Elizabeth's hand tightly. When Elizabeth looked over at Teyla her eyes were still transfixed on Athosian priest.

By the end their hands were still entwined and Elizabeth was in near tears herself. The ceremony had brought back many memories for her about loosing Connor and about the fact that she never got to say goodbye properly.

Elizabeth looked over at Teyla who had just a few tears falling down her cheeks. She had been near silent since the Jumper, Halling had asked if Teyla wished to sing but she had declined. Elizabeth didn't know why and she wasn't going ask. It was Teyla's business.

After the ceremony Teyla had walked towards the ocean with Elizabeth. Teyla didn't want to talk but she was happy to have someone there with her for support.

When Teyla reached the ocean she let go of Elizabeth's hand and bent down. In her other hand she clutched a single white flower which had been presented to her by the priest earlier. Elizabeth hadn't understood the significance of it until now.

"The flower represents the soul of the lost child. When...when I can let the flower go...I can let the child go..."

Teyla's voice broke on the last bit causing Elizabeth to fall to her knees next to the younger woman. Any hate or anger Elizabeth had previously held for this woman was gone. All she wanted to do now was comfort and look after her. She'd been through this herself. She knew how much it hurt. She knew nobody should have to go through that on their own.

Elizabeth slipped her hand around Teyla's shoulders and held her lightly while Teyla stared at the flower.

"Elizabeth?"

Teyla turned to Elizabeth and sighed.

"Did...after you lost Connor, how did you manage to move on?"

Elizabeth looked at the ocean and sighed. Thoughts of her son going through her head.

"I never really did...when I saw him in my hallucinations...I'm sure I wasn't imagining it. He still out there somewhere but...I never got over loosing him"

Teyla nodded and slowly looked around before picking a small flower out of the ground and, after saying a pray over it, handed it over to Elizabeth. Elizabeth understood what she wanted her to do and accepted the flower.

The two women slowly placed their flowers into the mild blue ocean and watched as the tide took the flowers and drifted them out across the ocean. Teyla stood up slowly, breaking from Elizabeth's grasp. She took a few steps back and waited for Elizabeth to stand up but she didn't. Elizabeth was still transfixed on the ocean, watching the small flower float away. Teyla stepped back to Elizabeth and took her hands. She pulled Elizabeth too her feet before placing her hands on Elizabeth's arms.

"I often wonder why we hurt each other so much"

Elizabeth was slightly confused, the entire conversation had turned into something else.

"What do you mean?"

Teyla removed her hands from Elizabeth's arms before linking her arm with hers and walking with her back to the Jumper.

"We say often how good friends we are...but...we have hurt each other so much and we keep doing it. I do not understand that."

Elizabeth nodded slightly

"We don't mean too we just do. I don't understand it either because I hate when we're not talking. It's like I'm missing something."

Teyla stopped causing Elizabeth to stop. The two looked at each other again.

"I am sorry I hurt you Elizabeth and I would understand if you never wanted to speak to me again after this but...you are the first person that I have felt close to in such a long time and I do not want to loose that"

Elizabeth slowly moved into Teyla and hugged her tightly. She ran her fingers down Teyla's silky brown hair.

"I hate it when we fight and I don't want to fight with you any more. It's exhausting me Teyla"

Teyla removed herself from Elizabeth's arms and placed her hand delicately on her cheek

"I agree, it needs to end."

Elizabeth removed Teyla's hand from her cheek and linked arms with her again. The two women walked back to the Jumper and sat down in their seats while waiting for Carson to arrive back.

"I want to call a truce Teyla. No more arguing between us. I just want us to be friends again"

Teyla nodded and stretched her arm across, Elizabeth understood this sign and stretched her own arm across to grasp Teyla's hand. The two women sat like that for a few moments, not speaking, until Carson walked into the Jumper. Teyla and Elizabeth released each others hand and let Carson get into his seat. It didn't take long for them to dock back in Atlantis. Once there Teyla had retired back to her quarters. Informing Elizabeth that she needed rest. John had been full of questions about why they'd been on the mainland but Elizabeth had stuck to her original story about going to check on the Athosian's. When John asked what had happened between her and Teyla since they seemed to have become joined by the hip Elizabeth just shrugged him off saying they had called a truce and that was all he needed to know.

****

2 days later 

Bates rubbed his tired eyes and sighed. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd done anything like eat, sleep or train. His whole reason for being the last six days was to watch Lorne wake up. But he hadn't. Carson had said he didn't know how long Lorne would be in that coma. He'd been badly beaten and they'd been damage to his brain. Carson had said, in his own way, that Lorne was lucky to be alive. Bates knew that was the case but didn't want to think about how close his Jamie came to dying.

Bates poured himself a glass of water and sipped on it delicately, trying to make himself more alert.

He sat back down in the chair which he had occupied quite a lot the last six days and closed his eyes.

Bates didn't know how long he'd been asleep or even if he'd been asleep but a noise caused him to open his eyes and look towards the bed. At first he thought it may have been a trick of the light, but it wasn't. Lorne's eyes were flickering open. Bates jumped out of his seat and bounced to the side of the bed.

"Jamie?"

Lorne's eyes closed again for a moment before opening. He took a second to look at his surroundings before looking back at Bates.

"Marcus?"

Bates, so overcome and not really thinking, quickly kissed the other man, only realising afterwards that doing that one simple action could have just created a lot of problems. Quickly he scanned around the infirmary and saw that nobody was looking in their direction. Smiling slightly he turned back to Lorne and smiled.

"How are you feeling?"

He discreetly pushed back a piece of Lorne's hair and was about to say something when he heard Carson walking over to them. Bates slipped back, knowing he had to let Carson do his job.

Carson checked Lorne's eyes and his pulse

"Can you tell me your rank, name and date of birth lad?"

Lorne nodded slightly

"Major Jamie Curtis Lorne. March 15th 1971"

Carson nodded, smiling.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"Atlantis"

Carson put down the light he had been shining in Lornes eyes and smiled

"Expedition leader?"

Lorne smiled slightly

"Dr Elizabeth Weir. Carson I remember everything"

Carson nodded and sighed deeply.

"You are one lucky lad Major. I'll just contact Dr Weir and let her know you're awoke and then I need to run some more tests"

Lorne nodded and Carson walked off to his office, leaving Lorne and Bates alone.

Bates walked back over to Lorne and gasped his hand slightly. Lorne took in Bates appearance and came up with only one thing to say

"You look terrible. How long is it since you slept?"

Bates racked his brain before shaking his head

"I don't know. I haven't been sleeping well. You've had me so worried"

Lorne closed his eyes and sighed

"How long was I out for?"

Bates had to think again. He'd lost track of how long he'd been stuck in that chair watching his lover.

"Six days...I think"

Lorne rubbed his forehead.

"Six days?...damn it"

Lorne rubbed kept rubbing his forehead. Then something hit him

"My team...Are they okay?"

Bates shuddered slightly

"Teyla and Anderson made it back. They're safe and well."

Lorne smiled in relief

"Good, that's good, I would have hated to incur the wrath of Sheppard, Rodney and Ronon if Teyla had been seriously hurt. What about Michael's, how's he holding up?"

Bates turned away from Lorne slightly before turning back to him. Lorne could tell something was wrong from the expression on his face.

"What happened to him? Is he okay?"

Bates swallowed hard.

"He didn't make it"

Lorne turned away from Bates and closed his eyes. He didn't want Marcus to see the tears fall from his eyes.

He desperately tried to remember but he couldn't. It was as if he didn't want to.

"How?"

His voice was tight and Bates heard it, he wanted comfort him but knew that, in the high traffic area that was the infirmary, it wasn't possible.

"He was shot"

_Lorne didn't know why he was still concious. He'd been thrown across the room so many times that he knew he should be out cold right now, but he wasn't. It was as if he didn't want to be. He could hear Michaels trying desperately to negotiate with the captures. Trying to get them to stop torturing him. They wouldn't stop, they didn't care what Michaels had to say. _

_Lorne was thrown to ground. He took a second to rub the blood from from his lip before looking up just to see the gun which was trained on him. All his training was suddenly lost. He was going to die, he was going to die here with so much regret. He didn't want to die. He was too young to die. There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to achieve. He didn't want to die. _

_He could see his captures' finger about to pull the trigger of the silver gun. He was about to close his eyes but he stopped. No, it wasn't going to go down this way, if he was going to die he was going to stare his killer in the face. _

_Lorne looked up at him, his eyes hard and dark. _

_To the side of him Michaels knew what was about to happen. His commanding officer was about die. Suddenly his loyalty came in. Lorne was his commanding officer, he had an obligation to protect him. _

_Before he knew what he was doing he had broken from the grip of his capture and rushed forward. _

_He felt the bullet hit his side. Rip through skin, muscle and bone. His eyes closed at the pain as he felt Lorne's hands on him. _

_He could swear he heard Lorne say his name before his life ended. _

_Lorne tried to grab Michaels has the bullet ripped through the younger man's skin. He pulled him down to floor. His hand touched the bullet hole, tracing it. He looked up at the man who had just blasted the young Lieutenants life away just in time to see him crack him on the side of the head with the butt of his gun. _

_The last thing Lorne remembered was falling forward and landing on Michaels. _

"He died protecting me. He took a bullet for me"

Bates tightened his grip on Lorne's hand. Lorne turned round to him, Bates could see the tears in his lovers eyes and that caused him to run his fingers down Lorne's face slightly.

"Are you okay?"

Lorne nodded slowly.

"I want to see Teyla and Anderson"

Bates nodded slowly

"I tell them to come and see you when you're feeling better."

Lorne shook his head

"I want to see them now"

Bates sighed and tapped his radio.

"Will Teyla and Anderson please come to the infirmary?"

Bates turned back to Lorne and sighed slightly

"They're coming. Are you sure you're up to seeing them?"

Lorne nodded slightly and looked up to see Elizabeth entering the infirmary. Lorne smiled slightly as she walked over to them. Bates moved away from the bed to give Elizabeth enough room.

"How are you feeling Major?"

Lorne nodded slightly

"I'm okay. I heard about...Michaels. We should do something for him, for his family"

Elizabeth nodded slightly and placed her hand on his.

"We will, I promise we will not forget his sacrifice."

Lorne thanked her with a smile and turned his hand round to grasp hers slightly.

"I'm glad to see you awoke Major. You've been missed"

Bates nodded in agreement

"She's right"

A look passed between the two men which caused Elizabeth to feel slightly guilty, as if she was invading a personal moment. And it was no secret to her that these two men had been having problems. Maybe, she thought and hoped, they'd made things better between each other.

"I should go...let you have some...rest"

She smiled at Lorne a little and he understood the smile and chuckled slightly. Elizabeth Weir had a dirty mind at times and it was one of the things he loved about her.

Elizabeth patted his hand and turned to leave the infirmary, she walked to the door just as Anderson and Teyla were walking through. Anderson quickly darted to his commanding officer trying to avoid any argument which could commence between the two women. But no argument did, the two women were staying true to their word and were working on their friendship again.

Elizabeth touched Teyla's arm slightly.

"How are you?"

Teyla nodded slightly and smiled

"I am feeling much better thank you."

Elizabeth offered her a smile before leaving the infirmary.

Teyla walked forward towards Lorne and smiled at him.

"Major, I am glad to see you awoke"

Lorne gestured to where Elizabeth had just been

"Have you two made up?"

Teyla nodded slowly

"We have called a truce"

Lorne smiled slightly

"I'm glad to hear it"

Teyla smiled a little at him

"You and me both"

Lorne cleared his throat slightly

"I wanted you both to know that...Michaels will not be forgotten, his sacrifice will be recognised and acknowledged."

Teyla and Anderson nodded slowly and looked down slightly before meeting Lorne's eyes again. Lorne's gaze was on Teyla, she became slightly self-concious.

"Can I speak with Teyla for a moment please...alone"

The other two men left walked away from the Major and the Athosian. When the two men were on the other side of the infirmary Lorne motioned for Teyla to sit down in the chair which Bates had just left.

Teyla sat down and looked at the Major who sighed

"What happened made me realise how much I value my team and I...Teyla I know you will never feel comfortable on my team and...I've got to admit I miss Cadman and I know you miss being with Rodney, Ronon and the Colonel"

Teyla nodded slowly

"It is not that I do not trust you or believe you to be a worthy solider it is just...Colonel Sheppard was the first person to accept me, that was quickly followed by Rodney...and Ronon...I was the only person he trusted to begin with. My team mean everything to me"

Lorne nodded slowly

"I understand that...my team mean everything to me"

The was a small silence between the two before Lorne spoke again.

"I'll have to speak with all the ones involved but...I think they all might agree to putting the teams back the way they were"

Teyla nodded slowly just as Cadman walked into the infirmary, a large smile forming across her face when she saw her former commander awoke.

She walked over to the bed, faster then was strictly necessary. When she reached him she stood for a bit smiling and saying how good it was to see him awoke before Lorne finally caved and told her to stop babbling and give him a hug.

Cadman complied and bent down to give him a tight hug, the two not even noticing when Teyla smiled and left the infirmary so the two could have a private moment.

To some, it would seem that Jamie Lorne and Laura Cadman had an inappropriate relationship but that wasn't the case. The two were close, there was no doubt about that. They had been close for a long time, they'd meet on the Daedalus over three years ago and had spent a lot of the journey getting to know each other and had become very good friends. There was no sexual feelings between the two, sure she thought Jamie was a very attractive man and he thought Laura was very, very cute but the two had gone past the sexual part of a relationship and straight to the friendship part.

Laura sat down in the chair next to her friends' bed and smiled at him, taking his hand.

"I'm glad you're awake, maybe now Marcus can get some sleep. He's been awoke for nearly six days Jamie. Dr Weir has been really worried about him"

Lorne rubbed his eyes, he hadn't been truthful with Bates. Elizabeth hadn't been the only one who knew, Laura had worked it out as well and he hadn't denied it. He'd just asked that she respected his private life and didn't tell anyone, especially Bates', that she knew. She'd agreed, after all they were lightyears from home, in a way the rule and regulations of Earth didn't apply there.

"We had a fight about a month ago, we were still not talking when I went in that coma. I guess...the coma made him realise that the fight was stupid and it was stupid I know that. If something happened to him after we'd had a fight I...I'd feel guilty because...I might not get a chance to say sorry and to make things up to him"

Cadman squeezed his hand tightly and smiled at him

"He knows how you feel about him and he knows you could never hate him"

Lorne squeezed her hand back and tried to suppress a yawn but Cadman saw it and immediately patted his arm

"You need to get some sleep"

Lorne shook his head

"I've been asleep for nearly a week. I can't sleep anymore"

Cadman stood up and rearranged the pillows behind his head and made him lay down.

"If I kept you awoke when you clearly need rest Carson would make my life very difficult if you get my meaning"

Lorne shuddered slightly

"I so did not need that image"

Cadman chuckled slightly before placing a kiss on her friends cheek.

"Get some rest"

She let go of his hand and left the infirmary as he placed his head back on the pillows and closed his eyes.

****


	17. Chapter 17

**Author Notes: I make apologises for the lack of updates on all my stories as of late. I am currently in my first year of University. (Studying Forensic Psychology), combine that with the fact that I also work and you can see I have very little time to spend of fanfiction. I have not completely abandoned them, I do hope to finish all my current WIP's but I can't tell you when that will be.**

3 Days later

When Lorne had been told that he was to return to Earth so that his injuries could be checked over by a proper team of doctors which specialised in head injuries, he had protested and lost. Bates, Cadman, Elizabeth and John had all ganged up on him saying it was all for his own good and he was going whether he liked it or not. He argued again but Elizabeth and John were not taking any of it, after all they were being forced to go back for a meet and greet with the governments who knew about the Stargate. They didn't want to go back to Earth since what happened last time but they didn't really have a choice, the military leader and expedition leader had been more or less ordered to go back. Jack had sent Elizabeth a note apologising but adding that it was probably best that she was there because in his words '_Elizabeth you scare the living hell out of a lot of these guys. Really I don't understand it' _

After a lot of persuasive work he had agreed to go. Carson had given Elizabeth orders to relay to the team which would be looking after Lorne both on the Daedalus and on Earth. Carson had been a little reluctant to let his patient go so quickly after waking up from a coma but he also knew that it was very important that his head wounds got checked out by specialists with the right equipment.

Lorne was escorted by Cadman to his quarters. She had been ordered by Carson to walk him straight into his quarters but Lorne stopped her from going any further then the door of his quarters.

She waited around outside the door as he was about to punch in his security code. He turned to her and glared; Laura shook her head and walked off down the corridor, turning round at intervals to make sure he was going into his quarters.

Lorne chuckled at this and entered the code to his quarters and the door opened to reveal Bates packing things into a duffel bag. Bates turned round to see Lorne standing there. He smiled slightly

"I thought I'd save you having to do the packing. You need to rest"

Lorne walked further into the room and smiled.

"You must be getting sentimental in your old age Marcus"

Bates smiled slightly and moved the duffel bag to the bottom of the bed so Lorne could sit down.

"I must be. I blame you for that"

Lorne chuckled and slid onto the bed, resting his head on the wall behind him. Bates slipped onto the bed next to him, placing his hand onto his knee.

"You're going to be okay. You know that right?"

Lorne nodded slowly, he wasn't about to admit that he was scared about any complications which could have happened. He had to admit he'd been feeling a little sludgy since he'd woken up and was worried that it could be something to do with his head injury.

"I know I'll be okay. It's only a check-up"

Bates knew that Lorne wasn't as comfortable as he was making himself out to be. Slowly Bates raised his hand and grasped Lornes hand in a comforting way.

"Weir will be there with you when they do the tests. She's already said that right?"

Lorne nodded slowly

"She said that she doesn't want me to have to go through it alone, you know with you being here on Atlantis"

"At least you won't be alone"

Lorne sighed and slid down onto the pillows and looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. Bates slid down next to him and propped himself up on one arm.

"I want you to promise me something"

Lorne nodded and turned his head to face him

"What?"

Bates became very serious. Lorne sat up slightly

"What?"

Bates sighed

"If there's something wrong I want you to promise me that you will stay on Earth to get treatment. I don't want you risking your life by coming back to Atlantis."

Lorne shook his head slightly but Bates stopped him

"I would come to Earth on the Daedalus' next return trip. I wouldn't make you be on your own for long"

Lorne closed his eyes

"Okay, if something is wrong I will stay on Earth, if it can be treated, if it can't be treated I'll be coming back to Atlantis and if I do have to stay on Earth you can't come Marcus. We have to be more discrete, people must be starting to suspect, especially after you spent six days at my bedside."

Bates rubbed his eyes, he knew that his behaviour over the past few weeks could have been seen as very unusual for a man who spent most of his time acting like he didn't have any kind of human emotion, well except anger and jealousy, to spend six days at the bedside of a superior office while he was in a coma.

"Okay, I know that was a bit risky but nobody questioned it, they just assumed I was worried and I was"

Lorne nodded slowly but couldn't help wondering whether this trip back to Earth could result in him being court marshalled, although when he thought about it more he figured it probably wouldn't happen but there was still a small chance.

***

3 Weeks later

**Earth **

Elizabeth walked into the infirmary of the SGC to see Lorne being checked over by Dr Carolyn Lam. The woman was checking his pupils' response with a mini light when Elizabeth walked over to the bed and sat down on the chair next to it. After a few more checks on Lornes condition he told him he was doing fine that that the specialists would be on hand soon before leaving to attend to other patient.

Lorne sighed and turned to Elizabeth

"This is a waste of time, you know that right"

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head

"You're health and well being is the most important thing to me at the minute. I don't care whether you feel fine or not. Something could be wrong and we need to check it out"

Lorne nodded slowly, he had heard Elizabeth's argument everytime he protested that nothing was wrong and it seemed that everytime he protested Elizabeth grew more and more worried.

"Fine, okay. But when they don't find anything wrong, you owe me dinner"

Elizabeth smiled

"That is a dinner I would gladly pay for if it meant you were okay"

The two continued to talk for a little longer until Jack O'Neill walked into the infirmary and over to the two

"Major, how are you feeling?"

Lorne nodded slightly

"I feel fine. These are just precautions"

Jack talked with him for a little before asking to speak with Elizabeth. Elizabeth gave Lorne a quick smile before following Jack out of the infirmary.

"I appreciate you coming back for this ceremony, they really wanted the two Atlantis commanders here for this, I think they want you to do a speech or something"

Elizabeth nodded slowly

"I'll make it up on the day"

Jack turned to Elizabeth in shock

"Is that how you deal with negotiations? I'll research the details on the day"

Elizabeth half smiled

"No I usually have some of the facts before I go there, I make up what I'll say while they spend their time shouting at each other"

Jack chuckled, he knew it wasn't true but it was good to see Elizabeth still had a good sense of humour. Turning to her he smiled

"How are you? I know your last trip to Earth didn't end the way you would have liked"

Elizabeth smiled a little at Jack

"Yeah I know, but I'm over it now. I'm working through it"

Jack nodded slowly

"I'm glad you're okay. I was worried about you"

Elizabeth was touched by Jack's concern. She knew he was a caring man but she'd didn't think he'd lose sleep caring about people he barely knew, she had obviously been wrong.

****

The next day 

Elizabeth sat with Lorne has they waited for the results of the CT scan he'd had. Part of him was worried about what they could have found, they were taking such a long time in getting back to him, but on the other hand if they had found something they would have told him straight away, they wouldn't have wasted time.

When Carolyn Lam walked into the room, a grave look on her face, Lorne took Elizabeth's hands. Signifying to her for the first time that maybe he was a little worried.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand back and waited.

"Major...erm...We have the results back...Would you like to be by yourself when you hear this?"

Lorne shook his head quickly

"No, I want her here"

Lam nodded and opened up the file which sat in her hands before starting to talk.

****

Elizabeth walked into her quarters and shut the door to the outside world. Lorne had asked her if he could have some time alone while he dealt with what he had just heard. Elizabeth had agreed to leave him and visit him in a few hours if he felt up to it.

The doctors had found a shadow on the right side of Lornes' brain. They wasn't sure if it was a brain tumour, bleeding or just something none important.

There was a gentle knock on the door to Elizabeth's temporary quarters. Slowly she walked to the door and opened it to reveal John, who was looking slightly concerned.

"Are you okay? You just flew right past me in the corridor"

Without uttering a single word, Elizabeth took his hand and led him into her quarters and shut the door. John could now see the pain in Elizabeth's eyes and instinctively put his arms around her, pulling her into him, where she placed her head on his shoulder.

John ran his hands, in a comforting manner, through her hair. The two of them stayed like that for a few moments until John pulled away slightly and looked at Elizabeth straight in the eyes.

"Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

Elizabeth took a deep breath and sat on her bed, John sat down next to her and took her hand, holding it lightly.

"They found a shadow on Jamie's' CT scan"

Johns' grip on Elizabeth's' hand tightened somewhat when he heard the words, but he tried to stay calm and rationale

"It could be nothing"

Elizabeth nodded, knowing that John could be right

"I know but...Jamie is worried and that makes me worried"

John hesitated slightly before sliding in closer to Elizabeth and placing his arm lightly around her.

"I sure it's nothing and even if it is...they can operate, remove it. Either way, he will be fine"

Elizabeth turned her head slightly and nodded.

****

2 Days later

The moment Lorne had heard the word 'inoperable', he had seen his whole life disappear. He'd known that news for nearly a day but it didn't seem any easier.

He wasn't quite sure what he had heard by the doctors but he knew it ran along the lines of 'there is a blood clot which is pressing on the right side of the brain, because of the way it is positioned it is not possible to operate on it although it is almost certain that the clot will...will continue to press on your brain with could result in...' he didn't need to know the last word of that sentence.

Now he was left with the option of what to do. They couldn't operate on the blood clot, at least not on Earth. He knew that on Atlantis Carson could have a shot at operating on it but Lorne had a feeling the cautious doctor wouldn't. Carson had tried things before, things he normally wouldn't of been able to do on Earth, but as of yet, he hadn't gambled with the life of someone he knew.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to remain on Earth, Atlantis was his home now, it meant everything to him and he knew he would rather spend what could be his final months there, helping the people he could and spending his remaining time with people he cared about.

He had over an hour ago if someone could find Elizabeth so he could speak to her. She had not yet come to see him. He knew...he knew it was different for her but he didn't quite think she would react the way she had. She'd become slightly withdrawn from him, as if being around him was causing her pain.

When he was thinking about asking someone else to go get her, the pretty brunette walked through the door of the infirmary.

She walked over to his bed and sat down. She smiled weakly at him and grabbed his hand.

"How are you feeling?"

Lorne nodded slightly. He was feeling sluggish, had been for a while, but he didn't want to add to her worry

"I'm okay"

Elizabeth nodded slightly and closed her eyes for a second before looking back at him. Lorne could tell what she was about to say and so he cut her off almost straight away.

"I'm going back to Atlantis Elizabeth. If there was something they could do for me I might have considered staying, but there isn't so I'm not going to stay somewhere where I have nothing or nobody. I want to come back to Atlantis. If you want me there"

Elizabeth smiled slightly

"Of course I do, but I also want you safe Jamie."

Lorne nodded and squeezed her hand.

"I know that, but my home, my family...is there on Atlantis and if..." Lorne swallowed and bit his lip before continuing. "...I'd like to be home.

Elizabeth smiled weakly and shook her head. Lorne stared at her, slightly confused.

"What?"

Elizabeth turned back to him.

"Do you think you're well enough to see Colonel Sheppard and General O'Neill?"

Lorne nodded slightly and Elizabeth turned round and gestured with her hand for the two men, who had been hanging around outside waiting for her word, to come in. The two men walked into the room and stood around the bed.

"How are you feeling Major?"

Lorne nodded at the two men with a smile

"I'm feeling okay Sirs"

John nodded, smiling slightly, but Lorne could tell that John knew what had been found. Lorne could see the sadness in his commanding officers eyes.

General O'Neill stepped forward slightly and stood next to Elizabeth.

"There was another reason we wanted you to come to Earth. I know both Elizabeth and Colonel Sheppard agree with me when I say that you have done one hell of a job on Atlantis. So that's why I couldn't be any prouder then to tell you that you are being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

Lorne sat there for a moment, thinking he had misheard the General.

"What?"

"You're being promoted"

Elizabeth's soft voice came from his side and that was the only way he knew that what he'd just heard wasn't a dream.

"Promoted? Why?"

John shook his head and stepped closer to him.

"You've been promoted because you are one hell of a soldier. You've faced unbelievable odds and you're still here. You've done a better job than anyone could have asked for. You deserve this...As long as you realise I'm still in charge"

Lorne knew that last bit was said in a joke way and chuckled at it.

"Yes Sir"

Elizabeth smiled slightly and squeezed Lorne's hand.

"Congratulations Lieutenant Colonel Lorne"

****

3 weeks later

**Atlantis**

Bates tapped his foot on the floor as he waited for the Daedalus to dock. He hadn't heard from Lorne in six weeks and it had been six weeks of hell. He didn't know what had happened in that time. He didn't know if Lorne would even be coming back.

Taking a deep breath he leant against the wall just as Cadman came and stood next to him. The two had talked over the last six weeks and it had come out that she knew the truth. After Bates' initial reaction of freaking out he had calmed down a little, especially when she told him that his relationship with Lorne was obvious to anyone who knew them well enough.

"He's going to be okay"

Bates' turned his head and nodded slightly at Cadman.

"I know...I know that. It's just the waiting."

Cadman touched his arm slightly and sighed

"Jamie is strong, even if there is a problem, God forbid, he'll get through it"

Bates nodded again but he wasn't really listening. All he wanted now was Lorne back with him.

A few minutes' later people started to disembark and Bates began to scan his eyes over the crowed that were walking from the Daedalus. When he spotted Elizabeth he walked quickly over to her.

"Doctor Weir?"

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled weakly

"Marcus. How have things been?"

Bates nodded slightly

"Yeah, things have been fine. Teyla, McKay and I have handled things"

Elizabeth nodded slightly and looked back before turning back to him.

"Jamie will be along in a little bit"

Bates smiled slightly and closed his eyes

"He's okay. Thank God"

Elizabeth cringed slightly and took Bates' arm.

"Why don't you come with me? I have something to tell you"

Bates smile fell as he heard the serious tone of Elizabeth's voice.

"What?"

Elizabeth inhaled deeply

"Just...come with me"

Elizabeth dragged Bates along to a empty room. She half hated Lorne for making her do this. For asking her to be the one to break the news to Bates. He'd practically begged her; he'd had tears in his eyes and everything. It had broken her down until she had eventually agreed.

When they entered the room Bates turned to her, his face serious.

"What's wrong Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed

"Jamie had the CT scan. They found a shadow...it's...it's a blood clot and it's inoperable."

Bates wasn't sure he heard Elizabeth right

"I'm sorry I thought you said he was back on Atlantis?"

Elizabeth nodded slightly

"That's right"

Bates shook his head

"But he promised me...he said if there was a problem he was staying on Earth to get it sorted"

"There was no reason for him to stay on Earth. There's no treatment available. There's medication he can have but it will only slow down the...it will only slow down what will happen. He wanted to come back to Atlantis. We may be able to use Ancient technology but the chances are slim Marcus. I am so sorry"

Bates didn't say anything. He just pushed passed her and left the room.

***

About an hour after their arrival back on Atlantis Lorne returned to his room, with a promise to go see Carson the next morning for a check-up. He knew how much more overprotective the doctor would be now but he didn't want any fuss. He just wanted to carry on as normal as he could.

Lorne opened his room and switched on the light to reveal Bates. He was laying on the bed drinking from, what looked like, a bottle of Scotch.

"Congratulations Lieutenant Colonel. That's a promotion you deserved"

Lorne smiled and walked further into the room.

"Thanks. I was going to come and tell you. I just wanted to change first"

Bates nodded slightly

"I'm surprised you didn't get Weir to tell me, after all you got her to tell me about the blood clot. Which is more than likely going to kill you."

Even from across the room, Lorne could see the tears which had formed in the other man's eyes.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't...I couldn't bare to tell you"

Bates nodded and took another long sip of his drink.

"Why did you come back? We had a deal. If you were ill you were staying on Earth for treatment. You promised me"

Lorne shook his head slightly. He wanted to go over to him but knew that when Marcus was drunk he could also be quite mean. Not abusive, just mean.

"There's nothing they could do. There's no treatment, the...clot is too dangerous to operate on. I...I decided if I was going to die, I wanted to die here. I want to live the rest of my life here, and you never know, we could find something that could cure it"

Bates shook his head slightly

"What about Goa'uld technology? They have healing devices"

_When Elizabeth had asked Jack for the Goa'uld healing device he had been reluctant, but he knew Elizabeth would feel terrible if she didn't explore all the options open to Lorne and he would feel terrible for not letting her, so he agreed. It had then taken some work to try and convince Lorne. He'd heard that using the device could be damaging to the person using it and he didn't want to hurt Elizabeth for his own health. In the end Elizabeth convinced __him; after all she was a Diplomat. _

_Sam had talked her through how to use the device and Elizabeth was sure she knew how to do it, so a few days before they left on the Daedalus, she, John, Lorne, Jack and Sam had gone into the infirmary. _

_Elizabeth stood behind Lorne who was sat down. She placed the device in her arms and held it over his head. She tried several times but it didn't even glow. In the end Sam took the device from her and tried, it glowed but it didn't work. _

"They tried, it didn't work. It doesn't always work. Most of the time, but not always"

Bates placed the bottle on the table next to the bed and slid up off the bed and turned to Lorne.

"So what, are you just going to die and that's it?"

Lorne walked forward to him and cupped his face

"I don't know"

****


End file.
